Semantic concepts such as information, meaning, and representation are used in many areas of the life sciences, and they are used in contexts that seem otherwise describable in purely causal and structural terms. This raises the question of whether semantic notions are merely metaphoric ways of speaking or whether they are ‘substantive’ theoretical concepts, e.g. concepts that play a significant explanatory role in a scientific field. Although this question has been explored by philosophers for nearly 20 years, views still diverge. The controversial status of semantic concepts in the life sciences has generated a sizable literature in philosophy of biology. The concepts that have received the most attention are genetic coding and genetic information. However, most of the studies pay little attention to how semantic concepts are actually employed. What is missing is a detailed analysis of actual usage of ‘genetic information’ and similar concepts. The overall aim of this project is therefore to understand the status of semantic concepts in the life sciences by using a new methodological approach, i.e. by investigating actual usage in detail.

An analysis of actual usage is crucial for (1) determining the content of ‘genetic information’, including its purported referent(s), its inferential role(s), and its associated epistemic aims, and (2) assessing whether and to what extent it played theoretical roles. For instance, was ‘genetic information’ employed in explanations or for predictions? Identifying such theoretical roles will be important for assessing the legitimacy of apparently semantic concepts. This project will focus specifically on ‘genetic information’ and is restricted to the years 1953 – 1958, the time when an initially small group of scientists began using the notion of ‘genetic information’ in a sustained way. The scientists to be investigated are the protagonists of ‘genetic information’ at the time. Much of the unpublished material from this period is available online, especially through the Wellcome Library and the Cold Spring Harbor Archives.