Theoretical biology: some strategic perspectives

Life and cognition seminar series 

2nd SESSION : THEORETICAL BIOLOGY: SOME STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE

Maël Montévil (IHPST/Institut de Recherche et d’Innovation)

There is a lack of theoretical elaboration in biology, particularly in the study of organisms' life cycles. The underlying problem is the emergence of an episteme that structurally neglects these questions. In the case of biology, certain issues need to be addressed with precision, notably the articulation between systemic (physicalist or organicist) and historical (evolutionary but also developmental) reasoning. As an example of application, we will present the question of what disruption means in theoretical biology.