The selected effect account is regarded by many as one of the most attractive accounts of function. This account assumes that the function of a trait is what it has been selected for. Recently, it has been generalized by Justin Garson to include cases in which selection is understood as a simple sorting process, i.e., a selection process between entities that do not reproduce. However, once extended, this generalized selected effect account seems to ascribe functions to entities for which it looks unintuitive to do so. For instance, the hardness of rocks on a beach being differentially eroded by waves would be ascribed the function of resisting erosion. Garson provides one central argument why, despite appearance, one should not ascribe functions in cases of such sorting processes. In this paper, I start by presenting his argument, which hinges on whether a collection of entities form a population. I find it wanting. I argue instead that some selection processes are evolutionarily more or less interesting and that when a selection process is regarded as evolutionarily uninteresting, it will yield an uninteresting form of function rather than a reason for withholding the concept of function altogether.

选定的效果帐户被许多人认为是最有吸引力的功能帐户之一。这个帐户假设特征的功能就是它被选中的目的。最近，贾斯汀·加森（Justin Garson）将其概括为包括将选择理解为简单排序过程的情况，即不复制实体之间的选择过程。然而，一旦扩展，这个广义的选择效应帐户似乎将功能归因于看起来不直观的实体。例如，海滩上岩石的硬度被波浪不同程度地侵蚀，就可以归结为抗侵蚀的功能。Garson 提供了一个核心论点，为什么尽管出现了这样的排序过程，但不应将函数归于函数。在本文中，我首先提出他的论点，这取决于一组实体是否构成一个总体。我觉得它想要。I argue instead that some selection processes are evolutionarily more or less interesting and that when a selection process is regarded as evolutionarily uninteresting, it will yield an uninteresting form of function rather than a reason for withholding the concept of function altogether.