Overview

This book examines groundbreaking changes occurring within evolutionary theory, where the dominant gene-centered view that still occupies public imagination is being challenged by new perspectives. Under the banner of the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis, these changes have placed the organism and its agency back at the center of evolution, challenging long-held dogmas that seemed untouchable. By mapping these theoretical developments and examining their relationship with contemporary philosophical movements, this work builds toward a dialectical philosophy of nature, offering a systematic framework for how the humanities and philosophy can productively engage with natural science. It presents a new vision that places life at its center, seeking to unify different fields of knowledge while respecting their unique approaches and insights, rather than forcing them to conform to a single method.

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Rasmus Sandnes Haukedal earned his PhD in Philosophy from Durham University in 2023 with a dissertation on the extended evolutionary synthesis and its philosophical implications. During his PhD studies, he was a research fellow for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie programme Real Smart Cities and co-convened the reading group at the Centre for Culture and Ecology. In his thesis, building the organisational approach in theoretical biology, he argues that the current shifts in evolutionary biology constitutes a dialectical turn, as it accentuates the subjectivity of organismic action – how the organism is able to affect its own evolution. He currently holds a post-doctoral position at the Philosophy department at East China Normal University, during which he intends to expand the dialectical perspective further to demonstrate how dialectics can advance a different scientific ideal that undermines the barrier between the humanities and natural sciences. 

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