Benjamin Smart

Conferences/Symposiums

2nd December 2022:

120 Years Since the Birth of Karl Popper. Austrian Embassy, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, & The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria.

Presented conference paper, with Sophie Veigl: Isn’t Scientific Pluralism a branch of Millennial Popperianism?
6th October 2022:

Collaboration and Empowerment: PGR and ECR Conference for Sociology, Philosophy, Anthropology and Politics. University of Exeter.

Presented a conference paper: Living systems theory requires coordinate unity in the structure of biological understanding.
6th July 2022:

British Society for the Philosophy of Science Annual Conference. University of Exeter, England.

Student delegate and volunteer conference support staff (i.e. managing queries, registrations, and welcome packs at the information desk, and providing in-room assistance during sessions). 
28th September 2020:

Methodological Issues in the Metaphysics of Science. 2 day Zoom Conference. MetaScience Project. University of Bristol
18th November 2019:

Structure and Nature Workshop (Royal Holloway, University of London)

Presented conference paper: The epistemic structure of subjectivity, organisation, and individuality for H.R. Maturana and F.J. Varela.
14th October 2019:

2nd Meeting of the PhilInBioMed International Network. Centre national de la recherché scientifique, University of Bordeaux, France.
9th September 2019:

Anthropology and Biology cross-disciplinary workshop part 1: Behavioural science. University of Bristol, England
20th June 2019:

Integrated History and Philosophy of Science Workshop. Egenis, The Centre for the Study of Life Sciences, University of Exeter, England

Delegate at two-day workshop, representing Egenis and the University of Exeter. 
12th September 2018:

5th European Advanced School in the Philosophy of the Life Sciences (EASPLS) (Konrad Lorenz Institute)

Presented a commentary: Commentary on Ruiz-Mirazo’s ‘Philosophical Problems About the Origins of Life’.
6th September 2018:

The Nature of Freedom and the Freedom of Nature. United Kingdom Kant Society Annual (bilingual Welsh-English) Conference. Glamorgan Building, Cardiff University

Presented conference paper: Teleology and the Striving Character of Organisms: A preliminary comparison of Angela Breitenbach’s and Arthur Schopenhauer’s readings of Immanuel Kant.
10th May 2018:

SPA PGR Conference. The Institute of Arab and Islamic Study, University of Exeter, England

Presented conference paper: Some points of ambiguity on the causation of evolutionary theory.
6th June 2017:

ENCAPsulate PGR Student Conference (Cardiff University)

Presented conference paper: Organisms and Individuals: The problem of biological individuals for philosophy and science.
9th March 2017:

Organisms: Living Systems & Processes. A Process Ontology for Contemporary Biology. Egenis, The Centre for the Study of Life Sciences, University of Exeter, England

Delegate at two day conference, representing Egenis' PGR community, having moved to University of Exeter to continue my doctoral research within this instiution. Formative for aspects of my doctoral project, specifically in understanding organisms as unique phenomena and dynamic systems as a unique system type.
8th June 2016:

Philosophy of Biology in the UK. University of Bristol, England | 8th to 9th June, 2016

Conference delegate. Networking and investigating contemporary research in British philosophy of biology. 
6th June 2016:

ENCAP PGR Student Conference (Cardiff University)

Presented conference paper: Nietzsche and Boscovich: Atomism and Individuality.
2nd June 2016:

Biological Identity. Institute of Philosophy; School of Advanced Study, University of London, England | 2nd to 3rd June, 2016.

Conference delegate. Formative for the research proposal for my doctorate, specifically regarding the metaphysics of individuality and the biological organisation of living systems. 
18th May 2016:

Literature’s Animals PGR Conference (University of Bristol)

Presented conference paper: On the fallacy of anthropomorphism: Two refutations.
19th February 2016:

Gregynog Student Conference (Jointly Cardiff and Lampter Universities)

Presented conference paper: Difficulties with conceptualising the organism.
19th November 2015:

Symbiotic Processes. A Process Ontology for Contemporary Biology. (Egenis, The Centre for the Study of Life Sciences, University of Exeter, England.

Delegate at two-day conference. Formative for the research proposal for my doctorate, regarding problems of individuality and system-boundedness for theoretical biology.

Guest Lecture

21st October 2019:

Does your organism exist across time?

Lectured on the topics of diachronic identity in biology and ontology: focusing on David Queller's and Joan Strassmann's (2016) conceptual device of 'Theseus Fish', whilst considereing the genidentity theories of Thomas Pradeu (2018) and the process ontology of John Dupré (2012; Nicholson & Dupré, 2018), against the substance ontologies of Jack Wilson (1999) and David Wiggins (2001).

Two-part Guest Lecture

25th March 2022:

Metaphysics and Biology: (i) Biological Species; (ii) Biological Individuals

Lectures 10 & 11 on Dr. Adrian Currie's PHL2016 Metaphysics course. 25th March, and 1st April, 2022. The second part was delivered online.

 

(1) What is life?

 

(2) Introduction: Contemporary metaphysics of biology

 

(3) L10. Biological species realism

  • Phenospecies as natural kinds: for/against realism.
  • Biospecies as natura lkinds: for/against realism
  • Phylospecies as natural kinds: for/against realism
  • Species realism and historical individuals

 

(4) L11. Realism about biological individuals

  • D. Hull on individuals: recap and problems.
  • Intermezzo: A bigger metaphysical picture: substance ontology & process ontology.
  • T. Pradeu: Immunological genidentity
  • C.J. Austin: organisms are dynamic functional kinds

 

(5) Recap: What is life?