In Izagirre, A. (ed.) Ezagutzaren politikak: Zientziaren kultura berrirako oinarriak. Bilbo: Udako Euskal Unibertsitatea (UEU), pp.: 233-247, Apr 30, 2007
Conceptual Issues in Evolutionary Biology (3rd ed.). Elliott Sober (Ed.). (2006, Cambridge MA: MI... more Conceptual Issues in Evolutionary Biology (3rd ed.). Elliott Sober (Ed.). (2006, Cambridge MA: MIT Press.) $42.00 (paper), 640 pages. Evolution on earth is a primary source of interest and inspiration for artificial life, which aims to study life-as-it-could-be by synthetic means. The study of several aspects of evolution has been an essential part of the work done in this field since its official origins about 20 years ago. In particular, modeling evolution has been important for the exploration of living properties, and it also has provided methodological insights to devise a substantial portion of the characteristic tools used by ALife workers, tools that have in fact passed the strict limits of ALife and have been used with many other different purposes. Given the interdisciplinary nature of this research field, many people needed resources for biological inspiration to bring in interesting problems, as well as to analyze how they are known to be solved in nature. Discussions on...
Contrastes. Revista Internacional de Filosofía, 2013
RESUMENSi los elementos conceptuales que caracterizan el organicismo del siglo XX son la centrali... more RESUMENSi los elementos conceptuales que caracterizan el organicismo del siglo XX son la centralidad del organismo, la perspectiva sistémica y el pensamiento jerárquico en términos de niveles de organización, planteo que el enfoque jerárquico es la «marca» de una perspectiva propia o genuinamente sistémica. De forma complementaria, defiendo que la ausencia de un enfoque genuinamente jerárquico en algunas propuestas actuales, por ejemplo, en el campo de la emergente biología de sistemas, es indicativo del diferente origen y ambición de tales planteamientos. Como ilustración específica de este planteamiento presento la larga trayectoria del trabajo experimental y teórico de Paul A. Weiss.PALABRAS CLAVEBIOLOGÍA SISTÉMICA, JERARQUÍA, ORGANICISMO, PAUL A. WEISSABSTRACTIf the conceptual traits that characterize XXth century organicism are centrality of the organism, systemic perspective, and hierarchical thinking in terms of levels of organization, I maintain that hierarchical thinking is...
This article was published in an Elsevier journal. The attached copy is furnished to the author f... more This article was published in an Elsevier journal. The attached copy is furnished to the author for non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the author’s institution, sharing with colleagues and providing to institution administration. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier’s archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit:
This paper offers a short review of Pattee's main contributions to science and philosophy. With n... more This paper offers a short review of Pattee's main contributions to science and philosophy. With no intention of being exhaustive, an account of Pattee's work is presented which discusses some of his ideas and their reception. This is done through an analysis centered in what is thought to be his main contribution: the elaboration of an internal epistemic stance to better understand life, evolution and complexity. Having introduced this core idea as a sort of a posteriori cohesive element of a complex but highly coherent and complete system of thinking, further specific elements are also reviewed.
This paper is a short critical analysis of the theoretical ambitions of Artificial Life. The disc... more This paper is a short critical analysis of the theoretical ambitions of Artificial Life. The discipline is described and compared with other "enlargements" of Biology. After explaining some methodological and conceptual aspects, the main issue is considered of whether this biology of the possible life may explain or reproduce, or to what extent, the biology of real life. The conclusion, even if positive with respect its potential contribution to a better knowledge of terrestrial life, reflects some degree of skepticism regarding the most ambitious artificial aims.
In this contribution we will review different conceptions of open-ended evolution and propose our... more In this contribution we will review different conceptions of open-ended evolution and propose our own (RuizMirazo et al., 2008, Biol. & Philos., 23, p.67). Then, we will consider what are the general conditions that would allow such an evolutionary process to take place, with a specific focus on the type of organization that the systems involved should have. It will be argued that a strong ‘dynamic decoupling’ is necessary, making possible the long-term maintenance of those systems, in which the individual (self-constructing) and collective (ecological and historical) spheres become deeply intertwined. Particular attention in the discussion will be given to bottleneck cases, like a hypothetical prebiotic ‘RNA-world’, which –according to our account– would not meet all the requirements. We will also reason why the evolution of a prokaryote world is already open-ended, even if the transition to higher levels of complexity (eukaryotes, multicellular organisms, cognitive agents,) would ...
L’objectif principal de ce chapitre est de distinguer entre deux formes de reductionnisme possibl... more L’objectif principal de ce chapitre est de distinguer entre deux formes de reductionnisme possibles en Biologie, de sorte a mieux comprendre les enjeux du debat contemporain a ce sujet. En effet, une attitude reductionniste au sein de la biologie moleculaire peut, en effet, prendre deux formes distinctes, que l’on nommera respectivement « reductionnisme moleculaire » a proprement parler et « reductionnisme genetique». Alors que la premiere forme soutient une these sur la reduction entre les niveaux de description d’un systeme, et s’oppose a une posture emergentiste, la deuxieme forme soutient une these sur la reduction entre les systemes consideres pour expliquer un phenomene, et s’oppose plutot a une posture holiste. Nous suggererons que l’evolution de la biologie vers des approches « moins reductionnistes » au cours des dernieres decennies se comprend plutot comme une critique du reductionnisme genetique que comme une critique du reductionnisme moleculaire. Par consequent, il exis...
Ezezkoa dirudi izenburuko galderari eman behar zaion erantzuna, gutxienez iraultza zientifikoa ge... more Ezezkoa dirudi izenburuko galderari eman behar zaion erantzuna, gutxienez iraultza zientifikoa geroztik, Natura hizkuntza matematikoan idatzita dagoen liburu bat omen denetik. Ikuspegi hori aurrera egingo du eta XX. menderako harridura alaia deitu dudana ekarriko du, Wigner 1960- en kasuan eta beste batzuenean ikusten denez. Jarrera hori biologiaren hainbat arloetan aurkitu ditzazkegunekin alderatzen dut eta hor lilura hori ez da inondik agertzen eta, gehienez, oso ikuspegi utilitarista bat hartzen da. Bukatzeko, biologiaren erdian bertan daukagun mugagabetasunaren kasu natural agian aipagarriena azaltzen dut modu laburrean: eboluzio mugagabea.
In Izagirre, A. (ed.) Ezagutzaren politikak: Zientziaren kultura berrirako oinarriak. Bilbo: Udako Euskal Unibertsitatea (UEU), pp.: 233-247, Apr 30, 2007
Conceptual Issues in Evolutionary Biology (3rd ed.). Elliott Sober (Ed.). (2006, Cambridge MA: MI... more Conceptual Issues in Evolutionary Biology (3rd ed.). Elliott Sober (Ed.). (2006, Cambridge MA: MIT Press.) $42.00 (paper), 640 pages. Evolution on earth is a primary source of interest and inspiration for artificial life, which aims to study life-as-it-could-be by synthetic means. The study of several aspects of evolution has been an essential part of the work done in this field since its official origins about 20 years ago. In particular, modeling evolution has been important for the exploration of living properties, and it also has provided methodological insights to devise a substantial portion of the characteristic tools used by ALife workers, tools that have in fact passed the strict limits of ALife and have been used with many other different purposes. Given the interdisciplinary nature of this research field, many people needed resources for biological inspiration to bring in interesting problems, as well as to analyze how they are known to be solved in nature. Discussions on...
Contrastes. Revista Internacional de Filosofía, 2013
RESUMENSi los elementos conceptuales que caracterizan el organicismo del siglo XX son la centrali... more RESUMENSi los elementos conceptuales que caracterizan el organicismo del siglo XX son la centralidad del organismo, la perspectiva sistémica y el pensamiento jerárquico en términos de niveles de organización, planteo que el enfoque jerárquico es la «marca» de una perspectiva propia o genuinamente sistémica. De forma complementaria, defiendo que la ausencia de un enfoque genuinamente jerárquico en algunas propuestas actuales, por ejemplo, en el campo de la emergente biología de sistemas, es indicativo del diferente origen y ambición de tales planteamientos. Como ilustración específica de este planteamiento presento la larga trayectoria del trabajo experimental y teórico de Paul A. Weiss.PALABRAS CLAVEBIOLOGÍA SISTÉMICA, JERARQUÍA, ORGANICISMO, PAUL A. WEISSABSTRACTIf the conceptual traits that characterize XXth century organicism are centrality of the organism, systemic perspective, and hierarchical thinking in terms of levels of organization, I maintain that hierarchical thinking is...
This article was published in an Elsevier journal. The attached copy is furnished to the author f... more This article was published in an Elsevier journal. The attached copy is furnished to the author for non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the author’s institution, sharing with colleagues and providing to institution administration. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier’s archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit:
This paper offers a short review of Pattee's main contributions to science and philosophy. With n... more This paper offers a short review of Pattee's main contributions to science and philosophy. With no intention of being exhaustive, an account of Pattee's work is presented which discusses some of his ideas and their reception. This is done through an analysis centered in what is thought to be his main contribution: the elaboration of an internal epistemic stance to better understand life, evolution and complexity. Having introduced this core idea as a sort of a posteriori cohesive element of a complex but highly coherent and complete system of thinking, further specific elements are also reviewed.
This paper is a short critical analysis of the theoretical ambitions of Artificial Life. The disc... more This paper is a short critical analysis of the theoretical ambitions of Artificial Life. The discipline is described and compared with other "enlargements" of Biology. After explaining some methodological and conceptual aspects, the main issue is considered of whether this biology of the possible life may explain or reproduce, or to what extent, the biology of real life. The conclusion, even if positive with respect its potential contribution to a better knowledge of terrestrial life, reflects some degree of skepticism regarding the most ambitious artificial aims.
In this contribution we will review different conceptions of open-ended evolution and propose our... more In this contribution we will review different conceptions of open-ended evolution and propose our own (RuizMirazo et al., 2008, Biol. & Philos., 23, p.67). Then, we will consider what are the general conditions that would allow such an evolutionary process to take place, with a specific focus on the type of organization that the systems involved should have. It will be argued that a strong ‘dynamic decoupling’ is necessary, making possible the long-term maintenance of those systems, in which the individual (self-constructing) and collective (ecological and historical) spheres become deeply intertwined. Particular attention in the discussion will be given to bottleneck cases, like a hypothetical prebiotic ‘RNA-world’, which –according to our account– would not meet all the requirements. We will also reason why the evolution of a prokaryote world is already open-ended, even if the transition to higher levels of complexity (eukaryotes, multicellular organisms, cognitive agents,) would ...
L’objectif principal de ce chapitre est de distinguer entre deux formes de reductionnisme possibl... more L’objectif principal de ce chapitre est de distinguer entre deux formes de reductionnisme possibles en Biologie, de sorte a mieux comprendre les enjeux du debat contemporain a ce sujet. En effet, une attitude reductionniste au sein de la biologie moleculaire peut, en effet, prendre deux formes distinctes, que l’on nommera respectivement « reductionnisme moleculaire » a proprement parler et « reductionnisme genetique». Alors que la premiere forme soutient une these sur la reduction entre les niveaux de description d’un systeme, et s’oppose a une posture emergentiste, la deuxieme forme soutient une these sur la reduction entre les systemes consideres pour expliquer un phenomene, et s’oppose plutot a une posture holiste. Nous suggererons que l’evolution de la biologie vers des approches « moins reductionnistes » au cours des dernieres decennies se comprend plutot comme une critique du reductionnisme genetique que comme une critique du reductionnisme moleculaire. Par consequent, il exis...
Ezezkoa dirudi izenburuko galderari eman behar zaion erantzuna, gutxienez iraultza zientifikoa ge... more Ezezkoa dirudi izenburuko galderari eman behar zaion erantzuna, gutxienez iraultza zientifikoa geroztik, Natura hizkuntza matematikoan idatzita dagoen liburu bat omen denetik. Ikuspegi hori aurrera egingo du eta XX. menderako harridura alaia deitu dudana ekarriko du, Wigner 1960- en kasuan eta beste batzuenean ikusten denez. Jarrera hori biologiaren hainbat arloetan aurkitu ditzazkegunekin alderatzen dut eta hor lilura hori ez da inondik agertzen eta, gehienez, oso ikuspegi utilitarista bat hartzen da. Bukatzeko, biologiaren erdian bertan daukagun mugagabetasunaren kasu natural agian aipagarriena azaltzen dut modu laburrean: eboluzio mugagabea.
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