Awards

• Winner of Winner of the 2015 Lakatos Award by the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Overview

"What counts as an individual in the living world? What does it mean for a living thing to remain the same through time, while constantly changing? These questions are the province of immunology, one of the most dynamic fields in biology. Immunology answers these questions with its theory of ""self"" and ""nonself"" which has dominated the field since the 1940s. Thomas Pradeu argues that this theory is inadequate, because immune responses to self constituents and immune tolerance of foreign entities are the rule, not the exception. Instead Pradeu advances an alternative theory, the continuity theory, which offers a new way to answer the question of what triggers an immune response. It also echoes the recent realization that all organisms, and not only higher vertebrates, have an immune system. Pradeu's main thesis is that the self-nonself theory should be abandoned, but that immunology still proves to be decisive for delineating the boundaries of the organism. Articulating an evolutionary and an immunological perspective, he offers an original conception of the organism. Tolerance of the fetus by the mother and of countless bacteria on the body's surfaces proves that every organism is heterogeneous, that is, made of entities of different origins. In other words, every organism appears as a chimera , a mixed living thing-the cohesiveness of which is ensured by the constant action of its immune system. The Limits of the Self, will be essential reading for anyone interested in the definition of biological individuality and the understanding of the immune system."

Full Product Details

9780190869571

Table of Contents

Reviews

The topic and the thesis of this book are both of great philosophical interest and practical significance. Some of the most important medical questions, most obviously around cancer and the action of pathogens, are being transformed by contemporary molecular biology. But these developments cannot be properly understood without an adequate conception of the immune system the failure of which is a basic assumption of our interpretation of these pathologies. Philosophical discussions of immunology are few and far between; but if anyone thought this was because the topic was philosophically uninteresting, this book will change their minds. The dynamic conception of the immune system that Pradeu proposes has vital implications for the meaning of health and illness and even for our conception of the organism. It should be widely discussed by philosophers of biology, but also by the biomedical scientists whose work it addresses. --John Dupre, University of Exeter A noteworthy contribution to immunology's abundant theoretical literature. --Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews Thomas Pradeu's The Limits of the Self represents a sophisticated analysis of how the self can be defined in terms of the immune system and how this strictly biological view and inform the philosophical concept...Pradeu's Continuity Theory is arguably the clearest alternative to Burnet's self/non-self model. --Times Literary Supplement Thomas Pradeu has joined the small cadre of those studying the philosophical significance of immunology and assumed the task of rectifying this neglect. In a text that provides an up-to-date summary of the key features of immunological theory and places those findings into a philosophical context that has framed previous debates, he has made a noteworthy contribution to immunology's abundant theoretical literature, which enjoys a richness almost unique among the physiological sciences. --Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews All philosophers of science will find this book an immensely worthwhile investment of reading and thinking time...There are also several aspects of the book that are appealing for philosophers of biology in particular...Pradeu has produced a hybrid book with many strengths and great coherence. --British Journal for the Philosophy of Science Thomas Pradeu's The Limits of the Self provides a precise account of biological identity developed from the central concepts of immunology. Yet the central concepts most relevant to this task (self and nonself) are themselves deemed inadequate, suffering from ambiguity and imprecision. Pradeu seeks to remedy this by proposing a new guiding theory for immunology, the continuity theory. From this, an account of biological identity is provided in terms of uniqueness and individuality, ultimately leading to a defense of the heterogeneous organism as expressing the highest degree of individuality. --Biology and Philosophy Pradeu offers a new perspective of evolutionary individuality with insights that challenge the current discourse. Overall, I recommend this book to philosophers of biology and science who are interested in the notion of individuality, as well as to biologists concerned with the nature of individual organisms. --Philosophy in Review

Pradeu offers a new perspective of evolutionary individuality with insights that challenge the current discourse. Overall, I recommend this book to philosophers of biology and science who are interested in the notion of individuality, as well as to biologists concerned with the nature of individual organisms. * Philosophy in Review * Thomas Pradeu's The Limits of the Self provides a precise account of biological identity developed from the central concepts of immunology. Yet the central concepts most relevant to this task (self and nonself) are themselves deemed inadequate, suffering from ambiguity and imprecision. Pradeu seeks to remedy this by proposing a new guiding theory for immunology, the continuity theory. From this, an account of biological identity is provided in terms of uniqueness and individuality, ultimately leading to a defense of the heterogeneous organism as expressing the highest degree of individuality. * Biology and Philosophy * All philosophers of science will find this book an immensely worthwhile investment of reading and thinking time...There are also several aspects of the book that are appealing for philosophers of biology in particular...Pradeu has produced a hybrid book with many strengths and great coherence. * British Journal for the Philosophy of Science * Thomas Pradeu has joined the small cadre of those studying the philosophical significance of immunology and assumed the task of rectifying this neglect. In a text that provides an up-to-date summary of the key features of immunological theory and places those findings into a philosophical context that has framed previous debates, he has made a noteworthy contribution to immunology's abundant theoretical literature, which enjoys a richness almost unique among the physiological sciences. * Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews * Thomas Pradeu's The Limits of the Self represents a sophisticated analysis of how the self can be defined in terms of the immune system and how this strictly biological view and inform the philosophical concept...Pradeu's Continuity Theory is arguably the clearest alternative to Burnet's self/non-self model. * Times Literary Supplement * A noteworthy contribution to immunology's abundant theoretical literature. * Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews * The topic and the thesis of this book are both of great philosophical interest and practical significance. Some of the most important medical questions, most obviously around cancer and the action of pathogens, are being transformed by contemporary molecular biology. But these developments cannot be properly understood without an adequate conception of the immune system the failure of which is a basic assumption of our interpretation of these pathologies. Philosophical discussions of immunology are few and far between; but if anyone thought this was because the topic was philosophically uninteresting, this book will change their minds. The dynamic conception of the immune system that Pradeu proposes has vital implications for the meaning of health and illness and even for our conception of the organism. It should be widely discussed by philosophers of biology, but also by the biomedical scientists whose work it addresses. * John Dupre, University of Exeter *

Author Information

"Thomas Pradeu is Senior Researcher at the CNRS & University of Bordeaux (France). From 2008 to 2014, he was Associate Professor in Philosophy of Science at Paris-Sorbonne University. He is also Associated Researcher at IHPST Paris. His research deals mainly with the definition of the organism, the notion of biological individuality, and the concept of ""self"" as it appears in today's immunology."

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