Power Structuralism in Ancient Ontologies Processes and Powers
May 7, 2014
John Dupré, a Professor of Philosophy of Science at the University of Exeter, challenges the traditional substance ontology by advocating for a process-based view of existence. He explains how biological entities are more dynamic than static, emphasizing the significance of processes over things. The discussion includes fascinating insights into moonlighting proteins, likening their multifunctionality to LEGO structures. Dupré also probes the complex relationships between powers and processes and how context influences these interactions in living systems.
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Humans As Multispecies Systems
- Humans are multispecies systems dominated numerically and genetically by symbiotic microbes.
- Most genes in a human body reside in microbes, making organisms metabolically integrated lineage mixtures.
Cows As Microbial Engineering
- Dupré uses cows to show microbes engineer larger systems to solve metabolic problems like cellulose digestion.
- The cow functions as connected fermentation vats and locomotion that sustain microbial communities and resources.
Two Levels Of Organismhood
- Distinguishing organisms at the cellular lineage (organism1) and metabolically integrated system (organism2) levels matters for ontology.
- Boundaries of organism2 are context-sensitive and underdetermined by mere lineage demarcation.