Do organisms have an ontological status?

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Biology
• History of Science

Background:

• The concept of 'organism' occupies an ambiguous position between science and philosophy.
• Historically, it has bolstered philosophical arguments against 17th-century mechanistic and reductionist trends.

Observation:

• The paper traces interpretive stages of the concept of organism.
• It examines historical philosophical arguments, including animism, monadology, neo-vitalism, and phenomenology of life.
• Key figures discussed include Stahl, Leibniz, Driesch, Goldstein, Merleau-Ponty, and Canguilhem.

Findings:

• The study critically evaluates the concept of organism's role and legitimacy within philosophy of biology.
• It explores how the concept can be useful while avoiding excesses of organismic biology and metaphysics.
• Instrumentalism and a 'projective concept of organism' are considered but found potentially unsatisfying.

Implications:

• This analysis prompts a re-evaluation of the organism concept's utility in contemporary biological and philosophical discourse.
• It highlights the need for nuanced understanding beyond simplistic mechanistic or vitalistic frameworks.
• The findings contribute to ongoing debates on holism, reductionism, and the nature of living systems.