Interdisciplinary Program – Theoretical Foundations of Biology
Supported by 3DS
Molecular biology has provided a highly productive framework for the empirical exploration of living systems, but at the same time its results have challenged its own conceptual foundations. To move beyond this framework, a number of scholars have highlighted the theoretical challenges involved in understanding living beings in terms of their historicity and organicity. If living beings are to be understood as biological organizations, how can one avoid getting lost in their complexity? And if their regularities are the result of a history and continue to evolve and generate history, how can they be objectified? We believe these questions are essential for addressing this century’s challenges in health and biodiversity, and they also intersect with the issue of providing a theoretical framework for the use of new technologies in scientific research.
In this context, the interdisciplinary program Theoretical Foundations of Biology (launched in 2023) addresses theoretical questions by drawing on philosophy—particularly epistemology—as well as on comparisons with the innovations and theoretical constraints of other disciplines, notably physics. Through this reflective approach, the aim is both to reinterpret existing practices and to develop new practices and methods. The program is directed by Maël Montévil, CNRS research scientist, affiliated with the Centre Cavaillès – République des Savoirs.