Thursday Seminar, March 12th -- Michael Devitt
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Joshua Pearson
Mar 8, 2026, 6:25:51 PM (3 days ago) Mar 8
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Hello Everyone,
This week, the Thursday Seminar Series warmly welcomes Michael Devitt (CUNY Graduate Center), who will be presenting on March 12th, at 3:30pm, in the RSSS Auditorium (room 1.28). Title and abstract are below.
Other events in the day include:
Title: The Metaphysics of Biological Essentialism
Abstract: The consensus against species having intrinsic essences has recently been challenged. The challengers have taken some account of criticisms of this essentialism, but they have not fully engaged with a range of criticisms, particularly those of Dupré, stemming from views of the metaphysics of essences in general. I argue that these views are largely mistaken. All kinds have essences which may be intrinsic, relational, or partly both. Essences are interesting because they are “super-explanatory”, explaining the kind’s place in the causal nexus. The case for species essentialism rests on this metaphysics of essences. Dupré’s metaphysics wrongly takes the following to count against essentialism: that species should be conceived of as individuals not kinds; a kind’s lack of sharp boundaries; variation and change in a kind; taxonomic pluralism. Finally, contra Dupré, classification in science, including biology, is of kinds with explanatory essences that it is the business of science to investigate.
The talk will surely have an intrinsic essence of being excellent, and a relational essence of being interesting to us,
This week, the Thursday Seminar Series warmly welcomes Michael Devitt (CUNY Graduate Center), who will be presenting on March 12th, at 3:30pm, in the RSSS Auditorium (room 1.28). Title and abstract are below.
Other events in the day include:
- A grads-only pre-talk session with the speaker in room 6.68 at 2:00pm;
- Tea in the School of Philosophy tearoom at 3:00pm;
- Drinks at Badger & Co at 5:00pm;
- Dinner at TBD (let me know if you have preferences!) at 6:30pm, half-subsidized for grad students (put your name down here if you would like to join).
- All visitors (faculty, graduate students, undergraduates) are welcome to join for dinner. Faculty dine at a rate of ~$30.00 AUD, and graduate students and undergraduates at a rate of roughly $15.00 AUD.
Title: The Metaphysics of Biological Essentialism
Abstract: The consensus against species having intrinsic essences has recently been challenged. The challengers have taken some account of criticisms of this essentialism, but they have not fully engaged with a range of criticisms, particularly those of Dupré, stemming from views of the metaphysics of essences in general. I argue that these views are largely mistaken. All kinds have essences which may be intrinsic, relational, or partly both. Essences are interesting because they are “super-explanatory”, explaining the kind’s place in the causal nexus. The case for species essentialism rests on this metaphysics of essences. Dupré’s metaphysics wrongly takes the following to count against essentialism: that species should be conceived of as individuals not kinds; a kind’s lack of sharp boundaries; variation and change in a kind; taxonomic pluralism. Finally, contra Dupré, classification in science, including biology, is of kinds with explanatory essences that it is the business of science to investigate.
The talk will surely have an intrinsic essence of being excellent, and a relational essence of being interesting to us,
Josh
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