S2E143 - Beyond Genes: The Philosophy of Living Systems
Published: June 8, 2026
Duration: 51:30
This episode explores the conceptual foundations of biology, challenging traditional definitions of species, genes, and individuality. Rather than fixed categories, life is presented as a set of dynamic, historically shaped systems.
Through ideas like the holobiont and symbiosis, the discussion reveals how organisms are often networks of interdependent relationships, not isolated entities. It also revisits the tension between reductionism and holism, arguing that life exhibits emergent properties that go beyond physics and chemistry alone.
Ultimately, biology emerges as a science of interconnected levels of organization, requiring multiple perspectives to fully grasp the complexity of living systems.<...
Through ideas like the holobiont and symbiosis, the discussion reveals how organisms are often networks of interdependent relationships, not isolated entities. It also revisits the tension between reductionism and holism, arguing that life exhibits emergent properties that go beyond physics and chemistry alone.
Ultimately, biology emerges as a science of interconnected levels of organization, requiring multiple perspectives to fully grasp the complexity of living systems.<...