Impact of philosophy and theoretical thinking on ecology

titleImpact of philosophy and theoretical thinking on ecology
start_date2025/11/18
schedule17h
onlineno
location_infoOnline
summaryAbstract of the dialogue There are different ways to view the scope and focus of the discipline of ecology and its theoretical underpinnings. One view, popular in some philosophical circles, is to examine ecology from a Darwinian framework, with a special focus on interactions between organisms and their environments. These create the main difficulties that organisms must overcome in order to survive and persist, which leads to characterising ecology as the science of the “Struggle for Existence”. Some philosophers and a few ecologists also believe that this epithet could also apply to the discipline itself, as ecology has historically struggled to find its place amongst other sciences. The complex dynamics of ecological systems meant that ecological phenomena were often difficult to explain and predict, which, in line with the prevalent philosophical views of the early to mid 20th centuries, cast doubt on the status of ecology as a true science. A different view of ecology is that it is the study of the spatial and temporal patterns of the distribution and abundance of organisms, including causes and consequences. On this view, especially prevalent in some ecological circles, the discipline of ecology is seen as having a rich theoretical history, although often that rich history has been under-appreciated. In keeping with this strong theoretical tradition, most ecologists have not been in doubt about their status as a true science, despite debates about the dueling roles of ecological theory as explanation and prediction. This dialogue will present this difference in perspective and their implications for future theory development in ecology.
responsiblesPradeu

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submittedpublished2025/11/12 10:40 UTC
Event #4707418 - created on 2025/11/12