Hi! I am Yogi.
I am a philosopher of science, a systems scientist, and an evolutionary biologist with an extremely transdisciplinary track record. My research, first as the head of an empirical lab, later as the director of an institute for the philosophy of biology, has always focussed around a process perspective on the organism and its evolution.
I am interested in fundamental questions such as the limits of (genetic) reductionism, dynamical systems modelling, and mechanistic explanation in biology. My current projects deal with the use of models as epistemic tools, with causality in complex adaptive systems, and with the nature of organismic agency and its role in evolution.
In recent years, I have also developed an interest in promoting open science and in understanding the epistemology of open inquiry and innovation.
Crossing disciplinary boundaries between biology, mathematics, and philosophy is an essential aspect of my work. Teaching and mentoring are my passions. In addition, I gained valuable managerial experience in running an institute of advanced study. I have a talent for facilitating interdisciplinary interactions, and a proven track record for building a supportive, productive, and creative academic environment.
I am an independent freelance academic, the current D'Alembert research chair at the Institut d'Études Avancées (IEA) Paris/Université Paris-Saclay, a recurring guest lecturer in evolutionary systems biology at the University of Vienna, and associate faculty at the Complexity Science Hub (CSH) Vienna.
You can download my CV here, and find an up-to-date list of publications at the Google Scholar profile.
I am a philosopher of science, a systems scientist, and an evolutionary biologist with an extremely transdisciplinary track record. My research, first as the head of an empirical lab, later as the director of an institute for the philosophy of biology, has always focussed around a process perspective on the organism and its evolution.
I am interested in fundamental questions such as the limits of (genetic) reductionism, dynamical systems modelling, and mechanistic explanation in biology. My current projects deal with the use of models as epistemic tools, with causality in complex adaptive systems, and with the nature of organismic agency and its role in evolution.
In recent years, I have also developed an interest in promoting open science and in understanding the epistemology of open inquiry and innovation.
Crossing disciplinary boundaries between biology, mathematics, and philosophy is an essential aspect of my work. Teaching and mentoring are my passions. In addition, I gained valuable managerial experience in running an institute of advanced study. I have a talent for facilitating interdisciplinary interactions, and a proven track record for building a supportive, productive, and creative academic environment.
I am an independent freelance academic, the current D'Alembert research chair at the Institut d'Études Avancées (IEA) Paris/Université Paris-Saclay, a recurring guest lecturer in evolutionary systems biology at the University of Vienna, and associate faculty at the Complexity Science Hub (CSH) Vienna.
You can download my CV here, and find an up-to-date list of publications at the Google Scholar profile.
UNTETHERED IN THE PLATONIC REALM...
... is my blog, where I indulge in rants about science, philosophy, the politics of science and philosophy, and whatever else is going through my mind. In the spirit of metamodern hermit and philosopher Hanzi Freinacht, I rant with sincere irony, the kind that earnestly explores the rules of the game, but does not overstate my role as a player. Playful exploration is no joke.
This blog is written by a scientist who wants to be like the natural philosophers of yore. Someone looking for the big picture. Someone with more questions than answers. Exploring the Ocean of the Unknown from my tiny Island of Knowledge.
The title of my blog comes from a piece of feedback I received from a panel of senior colleagues. It ended with the judgment that the project I had presented was "untethered in a Platonic realm." In a strange upside-down manner, this statement captures most of the philosophical issues I care most about. Platonism is the exact opposite of the three main pillars of my current thinking: (1) process philosophy—everything flows, nothing is fixed or absolute; (2) pragmatism: philosophical arguments and scientific discoveries should do some real intellectual or practical work; (3) perspectival realism: there is a causal structure to the world which does not care whether I exist or not, but I cannot step out of my own head to get "a view from nowhere." In fact, progress in science and philosophy is most often made by comparing different perspectives. Only such comparisons shed light our biases and limitations. This is about as far as you can get from the Platonic realm of pure and eternal ideas.
It is also as far as you can get from the neo-positivist way in which many scientists see their own work and purpose in the world today. It is a metamodern view on a new kind of science. I believe it is the science of the future.
By deliberately getting my philosophy upside-down, "untethered in a Platonic realm" illustrates the condescension and wilful ignorance many scientists so proudly flout about philosophy. It was intended to add insult to the injury of having an excellent project turned down. One member of that same panel told me during question time that my criticism of academia had caused him “intellectual indigestion.” But I am not to blame! He looked like he'd been intellectually constipated for decades. The whole room smelled of hurt ego. Science as detached striving for objectivity? Not this man. Academia as smouldering battleground for petty narcissists? More like it, at least in my own experience.
There are so many that are just like him. They are pulling the strings not just in academia, but the whole of society. They have driven academic research into a tiny corner. Before Covid-19 hit us, "experts" like him used to fly around the globe, warming chairs at advisory boards, grant and hiring panels across the globe, and heating the planet with burnt kerosene. All for nothing at all. There is quantitative evidence that expert panels are completely unable to predict the future success of scientific projects in all but the most exceptional cases. But these people think they recognise "excellence" when they see it. They are the oligarchy of academia. You belong to one of their tribes, or you don't belong. They have narrowed the minds of countless young researchers, which they rule through a brainless cult of productivity, buttressed by metrics that provide a self-fulfilling prophecy: we publish therefore we are! The rest us remain trapped in this cynical pyramid scheme, too busy fighting for our precarious careers to take any breaks, freedoms, or risks. We must reach out for the low-hanging fruit. And we must pick them fast. Visions, dreams, and aspirations suffocate in such an environment. Playful exploration has all but disappeared. Research, these days, is serious business in most places.
Academia, as a system, is broken. But don't mistake my site for an anti-academic or anti-intellectual blog. You're not getting any conspiracy theories here, and I'll leave the ranting against academics to people like Nassim Taleb. He does it much better than me (than anyone, really). And in my opinion he is wrong on one crucial point: we do very much need good publicly financed research these days. In fact, we need it more than ever! The market won't fix our most existential problems, won't solve our deepest mysteries. The market does not generate wisdom. But neither does the current academic system.
What we need are new spaces for exploration, new kinds of explorations. I hope this blog is such a space. A tiny seed out of which greater things may grow. Time will tell. But for now, I'm inspired by Bucky Fuller who said that "you never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
Also, I'd like my epitaph to read: "at least he tried." Let's try together? If interested, please drop me a line.
This blog is written by a scientist who wants to be like the natural philosophers of yore. Someone looking for the big picture. Someone with more questions than answers. Exploring the Ocean of the Unknown from my tiny Island of Knowledge.
The title of my blog comes from a piece of feedback I received from a panel of senior colleagues. It ended with the judgment that the project I had presented was "untethered in a Platonic realm." In a strange upside-down manner, this statement captures most of the philosophical issues I care most about. Platonism is the exact opposite of the three main pillars of my current thinking: (1) process philosophy—everything flows, nothing is fixed or absolute; (2) pragmatism: philosophical arguments and scientific discoveries should do some real intellectual or practical work; (3) perspectival realism: there is a causal structure to the world which does not care whether I exist or not, but I cannot step out of my own head to get "a view from nowhere." In fact, progress in science and philosophy is most often made by comparing different perspectives. Only such comparisons shed light our biases and limitations. This is about as far as you can get from the Platonic realm of pure and eternal ideas.
It is also as far as you can get from the neo-positivist way in which many scientists see their own work and purpose in the world today. It is a metamodern view on a new kind of science. I believe it is the science of the future.
By deliberately getting my philosophy upside-down, "untethered in a Platonic realm" illustrates the condescension and wilful ignorance many scientists so proudly flout about philosophy. It was intended to add insult to the injury of having an excellent project turned down. One member of that same panel told me during question time that my criticism of academia had caused him “intellectual indigestion.” But I am not to blame! He looked like he'd been intellectually constipated for decades. The whole room smelled of hurt ego. Science as detached striving for objectivity? Not this man. Academia as smouldering battleground for petty narcissists? More like it, at least in my own experience.
There are so many that are just like him. They are pulling the strings not just in academia, but the whole of society. They have driven academic research into a tiny corner. Before Covid-19 hit us, "experts" like him used to fly around the globe, warming chairs at advisory boards, grant and hiring panels across the globe, and heating the planet with burnt kerosene. All for nothing at all. There is quantitative evidence that expert panels are completely unable to predict the future success of scientific projects in all but the most exceptional cases. But these people think they recognise "excellence" when they see it. They are the oligarchy of academia. You belong to one of their tribes, or you don't belong. They have narrowed the minds of countless young researchers, which they rule through a brainless cult of productivity, buttressed by metrics that provide a self-fulfilling prophecy: we publish therefore we are! The rest us remain trapped in this cynical pyramid scheme, too busy fighting for our precarious careers to take any breaks, freedoms, or risks. We must reach out for the low-hanging fruit. And we must pick them fast. Visions, dreams, and aspirations suffocate in such an environment. Playful exploration has all but disappeared. Research, these days, is serious business in most places.
Academia, as a system, is broken. But don't mistake my site for an anti-academic or anti-intellectual blog. You're not getting any conspiracy theories here, and I'll leave the ranting against academics to people like Nassim Taleb. He does it much better than me (than anyone, really). And in my opinion he is wrong on one crucial point: we do very much need good publicly financed research these days. In fact, we need it more than ever! The market won't fix our most existential problems, won't solve our deepest mysteries. The market does not generate wisdom. But neither does the current academic system.
What we need are new spaces for exploration, new kinds of explorations. I hope this blog is such a space. A tiny seed out of which greater things may grow. Time will tell. But for now, I'm inspired by Bucky Fuller who said that "you never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
Also, I'd like my epitaph to read: "at least he tried." Let's try together? If interested, please drop me a line.