Are there any developmental codes?

Motivation

Causing and coding are different questions.

Do genes code for traits?

Does anything code for traits?

2

Codes

A code is a rule for converting information

Caesar’s Code

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

DEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABC

3

Morse Code

4

Genetic Code

5

Developmental Codes

All developmental codes are causes

(M) X causes Y iff there are background circumstances B such that if some (single) intervention that changes the value of X (and no other variable) were to occur in B, then Y or the probability distribution of Y would change.

Woodward (2010)

6

Specificity

All developmental codes are specific

Some cause C, has specificity over an effect E, to the degree that changes in the cause (C1, C2, C3…) tend to produce changes in the effect (E1, E2, E3…)

7

Proportionality

All developmental codes are proportional to their effects

Causes and effects are in proportion if the causes and effects are neither too broad, nor too narrow, in comparison to each other

8

Proportional Causal Specificity is not sufficient for Coding

9

10

Semantic Information

Representations

Codes

11

Developmental Codes

(1) Satisfy causal criteria (M)

(2) Be specific

(3) Be proportional

(4) Represent outcomes

12

DNA and Information

I argue (elsewhere) that DNA cannot carry semantic information, therefore no representation.

Others may claim representation without information but in these cases (of mis-information) there is still no coding

Not rehashing these arguments today

13

Intentionality

There are other developmental causes than DNA

Representations must have ‘directedness’ on something, i.e. intentionality.

Mental states possess intentionality

So do artifacts, when it is derived from minds

14

Mental State:

Intentional (directedness, aboutness)

Cultural Artifact:

Second order / Derived Intentionality

{DOG}

15

Alice

16

Alice and Representation

17

Alice Student TraitTeacher

Intention

Building PlansConstructed

OutcomeArchitect’s Intention

Summary

Genes lack representational properties, especially directed at the ‘outcome’ of development.

If one believes genes code for developmental outcomes, then so do a host of other factors

But saying ‘gene for’ doesn’t have to imply coding.

If one doesn’t believe genes code, then other elements still can (teacher intention, perhaps artifacts)

18