I Workshop on Metaphysics of Biological Sciences (MoB14)

I WORKSHOP ON METAPHYSICS OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(MoB14)

Wednesday, December 10th 2014
Sala de Juntas, Edificio Luis Vives, planta 3
Campus Espinardo
University of Murcia, Spain


Program

12:00-13:30 The non-being of dispositions (El no-ser de las disposiciones)
María José Encinas, University of Granada, Spain

Abstract: The purpose of this talk is mainly negative; that is, I want to
argue against a realist view of dispositions or powers. By a realist view of
dispositions I understand the view that there are bare dispositions. So the
main idea is that bare dispositions are not real natures living in the
ontological space as natural categorical properties do.

16:00-17:30 The return of potencies in evolutionary biology. Towards an
ontology of possibility (La vuelta de las potencias en biología
evolucionista. Hacia una ontología de la posibilidad.
Laura Nuño de la Rosa, KLI Institute, Klosterneuburg, Austria.

Abstract: My talk will address what I take to be the main ontological issue
associated with the incorporation of generative principles in evolutionary
theory, namely the ontological status of developmental systems as the
targets of evolution. The variational properties of developmental systems
(such as modularity) cannot be interpreted as individual properties which
contribute to the fitness of the organisms composing a population (Wagner &
Altenberg 1996). Contrary to what has been recently claimed (Merlin 2010), I
will argue that if the target of evolution are not the individuals composing
populations but the variational properties of developmental systems, the
notion of evolutionary chance is radically contested, and an alternative
ontology of possibility craves our philosophical attention.