The propensity account of fitness intends to solve the classical tautologicity issue by identifying fitness with a disposition, the ability to survive and reproduce. As proponents recognized early on, this account requires operational independence from actual reproductive success to avoid circularity and vacuousness charges. They suggested that operational independence is achieved by measuring fitness values through optimality models. Our goal in this article is to develop this suggestion. We show that one plausible procedure by which these independent operationalizations could be thought to take place, and which is in accordance with what is said in the optimality literature, is unsound. We provide two independent lines of reasoning to show this. We then provide a sketch of a more adequate account of the role of optimality models in evolutionary contexts and draw some consequences.

中文翻译：

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最优模型和适应度的倾向解释

适应性的倾向性解释旨在通过将适应性与性格、生存和繁殖能力相结合来解决经典的同义反复问题。正如支持者早期认识到的那样，该帐户需要独立于实际繁殖成功的操作，以避免循环和空洞收费。他们建议通过优化模型测量适应度值来实现操作独立性。我们在本文中的目标是提出这个建议。我们表明，可以认为这些独立的操作化发生的一种看似合理的程序，并且与最优性文献中所说的一致，是不合理的。我们提供了两条独立的推理线来说明这一点。