An Organizational Account of Biological Functions

Matteo Mossio (1) , Cristian Saborido (2) , Alvaro Moreno Bergareche (2)

1 IHPST - Institut d'Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques
2 UPV/EHU - Universidad del Pais Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea [Espagne]

In this paper, we develop an organizational account that defines biological functions as causal relations subject to closure in living systems, interpreted as the most typical example of organizationally closed and differentiated self-maintaining systems. We argue that this account adequately grounds the teleological and normative dimensions of functions in the current organization of a system, insofar as it provides an explanation for the existence of the function bearer and, at the same time, identifies in a non-arbitrary way the norms that functions are supposed to obey. Accordingly, we suggest that the organizational account combines the etiological and dispositional perspectives in an integrated theoretical framework.

Mots clés: organisation; teleology; normativity; biological functions

Domaines: Histoire, Philosophie et Sociologie des sciences

Matteo Mossio, Cristian Saborido, Alvaro Moreno Bergareche. An Organizational Account of Biological Functions. British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 2009, 60 (4), pp.813-841. ⟨10.1093/bjps/axp036⟩. ⟨halshs-00792047⟩