Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods

The Korean Statistical Society (한국통계학회)
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The Biometry-Mendelian Controversy in the History of Statistics

생물측정학-멘델주의 논쟁에 대한 통계학사적 고찰

  • Jo, Jae-Keun (Department of Informational Statistics, Kyungsung University)
  • 조재근 (경성대학교 정보통계학과)
  • Published : 2008.05.30
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Abstract

From mid-1890's, biometricians and Mendelians debated over Darwin's evolutionary theory. Biologist W. Weldon and Mathematician K. Pearson were leaders of the biometric school and biologist W. Bateson led Mendelian school. In this paper topics of the controversy such as causation vs. correlation, frequency distribution are considered. And in relation to the tradition of British statistics, we consider the philosophy of Karl Pearson revealed in this debate. Besides many statistical methods and concepts by Karl Pearson, the newly born mathematical statistics got a new journal Biometrika, a department in university, and a school of researchers from this controversy.

생물측정학-멘델주의 논쟁은 다윈이 주장한 생물 진화의 연속성과 자연선택을 두고 1890년대 중반부터 약 10여년간 치열하게 진행되었던 논쟁이다. 본 연구에서는 생물학이 아니라 통계학에 중점을 두고 논쟁의 진행과정을 살펴보았다. 특히 수학자이던 피어슨이 생물학 자료에 대해 통계학을 연구하게된 배경, The Grammar of science에 나타나는 그의 과학철학과 논쟁에서 나타나는 피어슨의 입장, 그리고 그의 입장과 1830년대 이후 영국 통계학 전통 사이의 관계도 살펴보았다. 결과적으로 이 논쟁을 계기로 피어슨의 많은 통계학 연구가 나오게 되었고 처음으로 연구자들이 결집하게 되었으며 새로운 학술지 Biometrka가 창간되었음을 알 수 있었다. 또한 이 논쟁은 우생학과 더불어 수학적인 통계학이 대학에 자리잡는 촉매제로 작용하였다.

Keywords

References

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