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118Are Organisms Substances or Processes?Australasian Journal of Philosophy 100 (3): 605-619. 2022.In this paper, I argue that attempts in the philosophy of biology to show that organisms are processes rather than substances fail. Despite what process ontologists have said, I argue that substance ontology is perfectly able to accommodate the dynamic nature of organisms, their ecological dependence, and their vague boundaries, and that their criticisms are not directed at substance ontology simpliciter, but only at specific (perhaps untenable) characterisations of substances. The paper ends by…Read more
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48Biological Individuality and the Foetus ProblemErkenntnis 89 (2): 799-816. 2022.The Problem of Biological Individuality is the problem of how to count organisms. Whilst counting organisms may seem easy, the biological world is full of difficult cases such as colonial siphonophores and aspen tree groves. One of the main solutions to the Problem of Biological Individuality is the Physiological Approach. Drawing on an argument made by Eric Olson in the personal identity debate, I argue that the Physiological Approach faces a metaphysical problem - the ‘Foetus Problem’. This pa…Read more
Bristol, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Areas of Specialization
Ontology |
Objects |
Philosophy of Biology, Miscellaneous |
Metaphysics |
Philosophy of Science, Misc |