History and Philosophy of Biology: Debates from Antiquity to Modernity
III. National Ş. Teoman Duralı Philosophy and Science Symposium
Organized in memory of the late philosopher Ş. Teoman Duralı, the III. National Ş. Teoman Duralı Philosophy and Science Symposium will take place on 5–6 February 2026 at the Istanbul Medeniyet University (IMU) Institute for the History of Science, Semâniye Campus, in collaboration with the Department of Philosophy and the Institute for the History of Science.
This year’s theme is “History and Philosophy of Biology: Debates from Antiquity to Modernity.” The symposium covers a wide range of topics, including pre-modern and modern history and philosophy of biology, debates on life and classification, evolutionary theories, synthetic biology, and more. In addition, a special session will be dedicated to Ş. Teoman Duralı’s contributions to the history and philosophy of biology. The aim of the symposium is to evaluate the current state of research in these fields in Turkey and to explore new directions for their future development.
Application Details
Researchers interested in participating are required to submit abstracts of 400–500 words by 15 December 2025 via the Google Application Form. Abstracts should be prepared in Turkish, using Times New Roman, 12-point font, and must include all necessary details such as title, keywords, and author information.
🔗 https://forms.gle/xDhP41mVTFnQPN6q9
Symposium Call for Papers
III. National Ş. Teoman Duralı Philosophy and Science Symposium
History and Philosophy of Biology: Debates from Antiquity to Modernity
Organized in memory of the late philosopher Ş. Teoman Duralı, the III. National Ş. Teoman Duralı Philosophy and Science Symposium will be held on 5–6 February 2026 at the Istanbul Medeniyet University Institute for the History of Science, Fatih–Semâniye Campus, in collaboration with the Department of Philosophy and the Institute for the History of Science.
The symposium is dedicated to the “History and Philosophy of Biology.” Papers may address nearly all aspects of the history and philosophy of biology, both ancient and modern. Special sessions will also be allocated to discussions of Ş. Teoman Duralı’s work on the history and philosophy of biology. The symposium aims to identify and critically evaluate current research in these fields in Turkey, and to discuss opportunities for enhancing both their scope and quality in the future.
We are pleased to invite esteemed researchers to contribute to the III. National Ş. Teoman Duralı Philosophy and Science Symposium.
Suggested Topics
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History of pre-modern, modern, and contemporary biology
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“Natural History”
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History of the Biological Sciences (Zoology, Botany, etc.)
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Aristotelian biology
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Definitions and boundaries of life; debates on species and individuality; classification
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Classical and contemporary ontologies/metaphysics of life
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Evolutionary theories: pre-Darwinian and post-Darwinian; the Modern Synthesis (MS) and the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES)
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The concept of the gene and gene-centrism
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Systems biology
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Biological explanation and causality: mechanisms, teleology, reductionism–holism, inter-level relations
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Synthetic biology
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Ecology and biodiversity: debates on value, conservation, and policy
Participation is possible either with an oral presentation or a poster presentation.
The deadline for submissions is 1 December 2025.
Applications must be submitted via the Google Application Form by the deadline:
🔗 https://forms.gle/xDhP41mVTFnQPN6q9