Lecture
LTP Colloquium "What is biological modality?"
- Date
- Thursday 26 November 2026
- Time
- Location
-
P.J. Veth
Nonnensteeg 1-3
2311 VJ Leiden - Room
- 0.06
The Leiden University Centre Theoretical Philosophy is pleased to announce a lecture by Dr Margarida Hermida, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the Philosophy of Science Philosophy of Biology Metaphysics department at the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science, University of Leeds.
Abstract
Biological modality has usually been thought of as a simple restriction of physical modality, and the only kind of biological possibility that has been systematically theorised has been evolvability. I argue that biological modality is far more complex: it involves both physical and biological necessity, as well as various possibility spaces indexed to life, to particular lineages, and even to individual organisms involving, for instance, developmental, physiological, and behavioural possibilities for an organism at a time and in an environment. Furthermore, not all evolutionary outcomes are equally contingent, and facts about objective probabilities should be included within the scope of biological modality.
All are welcome!