Paper short abstract:

The aim of the paper is to present selected problems of the geography of knowledge production in the case of biological conceptualization, with special attention being given to the examples taken from ecological evolutionary developmental biology.

Paper long abstract:

There is a long tradition of the constructive critique of biology aiming at understanding biology in anti-reductionist way, to see and conceptualize life as more complex and interactive. Biologists themselves collecting evidence from anatomy, physiology, genetics, evolution, immunology and development point out that we should look at life in terms of holobionts and symbiosis (Gilbert, Sapp, Tauber 2012). It harmonizes with approach introduces social factors into biological conceptualizations like feminist insight into biological research according to which we should introduce variation rather than homogeneity into biological categories, and we should acknowledge the complexity of biological systems which are constantly evolving and cooperating with its environments, while emphasizing the role of cooperation and mutual responsibility of complex relations (Hannagan 2008, Condit 2008).

The aim of the paper is to present selected problems of the geography of knowledge production in the case of biological conceptualization, with special attention being given to the examples taken from ecological evolutionary developmental biology. Specifically the goal of the paper is to problematize the following issues: What are given cognitive and ethical benefits of redirecting basic biological conceptual reservoir from thinking in terms of individuals and fixed units to thinking in terms of meetings and relationalities. How neoDarwinian framework with its emphasis on the individuality and competition has been intertwined with neoliberal individualistically oriented capitalist ideology. How asymmetrical power relations has resulted in ignoring the knowledge of periphery world by western science (Schiebinger 2007; Proctor, Schiebinger 2008).

Gilbert Scott F., Sapp Jan, Tauber Alfred (2012), A Symbiotic View of Life, The Quarterly Review of Biology 87 (4), 325-341.

Condit Celeste M. (2008), Feminist Biologies: Revising Feminist Strategies and Biological Science, “Sex Roles” 59, 492-503.

Hannagan Rebecca J. (2008), Gendered Political Behavior: A Darwinian Feminist Approach, “Sex Roles” 59, 465-475.

Proctor Robert N., Schiebinger Londa (eds.) 2008. Agnotology: The Making and Unmaking of Ignorance, Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Schiebinger Londa. 2007. Plants and Empire: Colonial Bioprospecting in the Atlantic World. Harvard: Harvard University Press.