The ideal of natural order and the explanatory purpose of the Theory of Natural Selection

Resumen

If one analyzes the Theory of the Natural Selection trying to identify its Ideal of Natural Order, one concludes that its fundamental explanatory purpose is to account for the diversification of the living forms rather than to explain the adjustment of living beings to their conditions of existence. The latter question is just a difficulty whose resolution is a precondition for the attainment of the main goal. This also coincides with the argument developed by Darwin in On the origin of species: there the problem of adaptation indicates an essential difficulty and a key for the resolution of the theoretical challenge raised by the hypothesis of common descent.

Key words: Darwin, Toulmin, ideal of natural order, Theory of Natural Selection.