Looking for a word similar to aimed toward, but not active

[BillTre]

I have been thinking about biological processes that have agency (there are many examples). Where agency is the ability for a process to make responses that will maximize the likelihood of it achieving some goal (in biology, its usually reproduction).

Software (or other mechanistic structures) agents have their own human created goals to achieve. Biology's goals are often have something to do with reproduction or with steps leading to reproductive success.

My issue it that I'm inclined to say that the biological processes are aimed at reproduction, but that implies a process that was created with that goal in mind. This sounds active to me.

Biology does this mindlessly, without intent, but selecting the successful variants, which just happen to have that property and survive well. This is a much more passive thing. It is more like a "this is what we got from the process" point of view to me.
I am trynig to find a word to replace aimed at above.

I have thought of:
built to achieve
assembled toward achieving

Any other suggestions?

 

[Rive]

Depending on the actual context, maybe: tends?

But maybe you can approach it in a roundabout way, with the culling of the less reproductive/successful being an active process.

Ps.: by the way it's a really good question. Reproduction becoming imperative during the evolution is a really sensitive and often misunderstood thing: hard to convey it right, with carefully removing the hint of any goal...

 

[BillTre]

I like that.
Definitely interesting.

 

[symbolipoint]

I have been thinking about biological processes that have agency (there are many examples). Where agency is the ability for a process to make responses that will maximize the likelihood of it achieving some goal (in biology, its usually reproduction).

That is all I have read (and very quickly) from this topic you started. I can most fast pick words of "virulence", "potency", "viability". Maybe these help, or not so much. I will continue reading more of the topic.

...
Now did read more; I am thinking, "survivability", or maybe evolutionary selection?

 

[Swamp Thing]

"conducive to" ? "favorable"?

 

[phinds]

biological processes are aimed at reproduction

biological processes are naturally oriented towards reproduction

biological processes are naturally inclined towards reproduction

 

[DaveC426913]

How about simply "revolve around"?

 

[hutchphd]

How about simply "revolve around"?

To be pithy how about "evolve around"?

 

[Tom.G]

A few more words, but something like:

biological processes that enhance reproduction...

are more likely to proliferate
have an obvious advantage (in the next generation)
are selected for
.
.
.
et cetera
​

 

[DaveE]

Facilitate?
Select for?

 

[gmax137]

... tends, randomly but inexorably, towards reproduction

or maybe "stochastically" -- that always sounds good

 

[DaveC426913]

You could go the other way:

...biological processes are - like teenage boys - inordinately preoccupied with reproduction...

 

[NTL2009]

Kind of old thread I know, but it was in the "similar threads" of another current thread I was on.

I'd look at it the other way 'round. Instead of "the biological processes are aimed at reproduction,", which you admit are passive ("Biology does this mindlessly, without intent, but selecting the successful variants, which just happen to have that property and survive well. This is a much more passive thing."), how about:

Enhanced reproduction/survival is the product/result of successful biological processes. Biological processes which do not result in improvement of the reproductive rate tend towards failure.

I think this removes the intent from it, and takes it from active to passive? It's just a result, like mixing yellow and blue paint makes green. No intent there either.

 

[Dolbyphys]

"...passively situated unto..."
"...effectively postured to..."
But I think your point is erred: The processes are indeed actively set upon reproduction. You're thinking one level too far in your knowledge of the inanimate and non-agency nature of evolution. "Active" does not need to mean active with intent, much less with mind. There are predictable pathways of action in inorganic chemistry, via thermodynamics. Biologists are often worried about the layperson misunderstanding evolution, but a simple note as to the non-intentionality suffices here. Reproduction and evolution are inexorably married and the one leads to the other, in both directions.