The Ramsey Philosophy of Biology Lab

Lab director

  1. Grant Ramsey

    I am a BOFZAP Research Professor in the Institute of Philosophy at KU Leuven For more information, see the About page or download my CV.

Postdocs

  1. Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda

    https://www.alejandrofabregastejeda.com

    Dissertation: The Organism-Environment Paring: A Historical and Philosophical Re-Appraisal

    Lab publications:

    • Fábregas-Tejeda, A. and Ramsey, G. (expected 2025) Niche Construction and Evolutionary Theory. Cambridge University Press.
    • download-icon Fábregas-Tejeda, A. and Ramsey, G. (2024) “Driftability and niche construction” Synthese 204: 162. DOI: 10.1007/s11229-024-04815-5
  2. Andra Meneganzin

    https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andra-Meneganzin-2

    Dissertation: The Dawning of Man: Interrogating Modern Human Origins from an Evolutionary Perspective

    Lab publications:

    • download-icon Meneganzin, A., Ramsey, G, and DiFrisco, J. (2024) “What is a Trait? Lessons from the Human Chin” Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution 343(2): 65-75. DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23249

Current graduate students

  1. Gianmaria Dani

    Dissertation: TBA

    Lab publications:

Alumni

  1. Bendik Aaby

    https://www.hf.uio.no/ifikk/english/people/aca/philosophy/temporary/bendikaa/

    Dissertation: Organism-Environment Interactions in Evolutionary Theory

    Lab publications:

    • Ramsey, G. and Aaby, B. (expected 2026) Psychodiversity: Cognition and Sentience Beyond Humans Routledge.
    • download-icon Aaby, B., Dani, G. and Ramsey, G. (2024) “Explanatory Gaps in Evolutionary Theory” Biology & Philosophy 39: 22. DOI: 10.1007/s10539-024-09957-x
    • download-icon Aaby, B. and Ramsey, G. (2022) “Three kinds of niche construction” The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 73(2): 351-372. DOI: 10.1093/bjps/axz054
    • download-icon Ramsey, G. and Aaby, B. (2022) “The proximate-ultimate distinction and the active role of the organism in evolution” Biology & Philosophy 37: 31. DOI: 10.1007/s10539-022-09863-0
  2. Michael Deem

    http://bioethics.pitt.edu/people/michael-j-deem-phd

    Dissertation: Norms and Nature: Engagements between Ethics and the Biological Sciences

    Lab publications:

  3. Lane DesAutels

    https://lanedesautels.wordpress.com

    Dissertation: Mechanism and Chance: Toward an Account of Stochastic Mechanism for the Life Sciences, directed by Lindley Darden

    Lab publications:

  4. Hugh Desmond

    http://hughdesmond.net/

    Dissertation: Directionality in Biological Evolution, codirected with Andreas De Block

    Lab publications:

    • Desmond, H. and Ramsey, G. (2023) Human Success: Evolutionary Origins and Ethichal Implications. Oxford University Press.
    • download-icon Ramsey, G. and Desmond, H. (2017) “Philosophy of Biology” Oxford Bibliography.
  5. James DiFrisco

    https://www.crick.ac.uk/research/labs/james-difrisco

    Dissertation: Process and Levels of Organization, codirected by Roland Breeur and Andreas De Block

    Lab publications:

    • download-icon Meneganzin, A., Ramsey, G, and DiFrisco, J. (2024) “What is a Trait? Lessons from the Human Chin” Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution 343(2): 65-75. DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23249
    • download-icon DiFrisco, J. and Ramsey, G. (2023) “Adaptationism and trait individuation” Philosophy of Science 90(5): 1234-1243. DOI: 10.1017/psa.2023.28
  6. Alejandro Gordillo-García

    Dissertation: Overlooked Aspects of Cultural Evolution: Information, Maladaptation, and Evolutionary Trends

    Lab publications:

    • Coming soon.
  7. Charles Pence

    http://charlespence.net

    Dissertation: Chance in Evolutionary Theory: Fitness, Selection, and Genetic Drift in Philosophical and Historical Perspective

    Lab publications:

    • download-icon Pence, C. and Ramsey, G. (2018) “How to do digital philosophy of science” Philosophy of Science 58: 930-941. DOI: 10.1086/699697
    • download-icon Ramsey, G. and Pence, C. H. (2016) “evoText: A new tool for analyzing the biological sciences.” Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 57: 83-87. DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsc.2016.04.003
    • download-icon Pence, C. and Ramsey, G. (2015) “Is organismic fitness at the basis of evolutionary theory?” Philosophy of Science 82:1081–1091. DOI: 10.1086/683442
    • download-icon Ramsey, G. and Pence, C. H. (2013) “Fitness: philosophical problems.” In: eLS. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. DOI: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0003443.pub2
    • download-icon Pence, C.H. and Ramsey, G. (2013) “A new foundation for the propensity interpretation of fitness.” British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 64:851-881. DOI: 10.1093/bjps/axs037.
    • download-icon Hollocher, H., Pence, C. H., Ramsey, G., and Wirth, M. M. (2013) “A path to success? A Review of Evolution, Development, and the Predictable Genome by David L. Stern.” Evolution and Development 15(1): 80–82. DOI: 10.1111/ede.12016.
    • download-icon Hollocher, H., Fuentes, A., Pence, C. H., Ramsey, G., Sportiello, D. J., and Wirth, M. M. (2011) “[Review of] On the Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition, and Fiction.” The Quarterly Review of Biology 86(2): 137-138. DOI: 10.1086/659913.
    • download-icon Pence, C. H., Hollocher, H., Nichols, R., Ramsey, G., Siu, E., and Sportiello, D. J. (2011) “[Review of] Did Darwin Write the Origin Backwards? Philosophical Essays on Darwin’s Theory.” Philosophy of Science 78(4): 705-709. DOI: 10.1086/661775.
    • download-icon Ramsey, G., Hollocher, H., Fuentes, A., Pence, C. H., and Siu, E. (2010) “[Review of] Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection.” The Quarterly Review of Biology 85(4): 499-500. DOI: 10.1086/656856.

    Other lab projects:

  8. Anne Siebels Peterson

    https://faculty.utah.edu/u0976731-Anne_Siebels_Peterson/hm/index.hml

    Dissertation: Diversification in Aristotle’s Metaphysics

    Lab publications:

Lab collaborators

  1. Meredith Bastian

    http://www.philadelphiazoo.org

    Lab publications:

  2. Robert Brandon

    https://scholars.duke.edu/person/rbrandon

    Lab publications:

    • download-icon Ramsey, G. and Brandon, R. (2011) “Why reciprocal altruism is not a kind of group selection.” Biology and Philosophy 26: 385-400. DOI: 10.1007/s10539-011-9261-7.
    • download-icon Brandon, R. and Ramsey, G. (2007) “What’s Wrong with the Emergentist Statistical Interpretation of Natural Selection and Random Drift?” In: D. Hull and M. Ruse (eds.) Cambridge Companion to the Philosophy of Biology, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  3. Nevin Climenhaga

    https://sites.google.com/site/nevinclimenhaga/

    Lab publications:

  4. Alexander Cobb

    https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alexander_Cobb2

    Lab publications:

    • download-icon Cobb, A., Nadkarni, N., Ramsey, G., and Svoboda, A. J. (2001) “Recolonization of bigleaf maple branches by epiphytic bryophytes following experimental disturbance.” The Canadian Journal of Botany 79: 1-8. DOI: 10.1139/b00-134
  5. Andreas De Block

    http://www.kuleuven.be/wieiswie/en/person/00002503

    Lab publications:

    • Ramsey, G. and A. De Block (2022) The Dynamics of Science: Computational Frontiers in History and Philosophy of Science. University of Pittsburgh Press.
    • download-icon Ramsey, G. and De Block, A. (2017) “Is cultural fitness hopelessly confused?” British Journal for the Philosophy of Science. DOI: 10.1093/bjps/axv047
    • download-icon De Block, A. and Ramsey, G. (2016) “The organism-centered approach to cultural evolution.” Topoi 35: 283-290. DOI: 10.1007/s11245-014-9283-2
  6. Pierre Durand

    Lab publications:

    • Ramsey, G. and Durand, P. (expected 2025) Death and Taxa. Cambridge University Press.
    • Durand, P. and Ramsey, G. (expected 2026) Evolution’s End: Life, Death, and the Mortality Constraint. Oxford University Press.
    • Durand, P. and Ramsey, G. (forthcoming) “Conceptual Foundations of Cell Mortality” in J. M. Hardwick and P. Durand (eds.) The New Era of Microbial Cell Death Springer.
    • download-iconRamsey, G. and Durand, P. (2023) “Cell Fate: What’s Evolution Got to do With It?” Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine 96(4): 565-568. DOI: 10.59249/FBHI3484
    • download-icon Durand, P. and Ramsey, G. (2023) “The concepts and origins of cell mortality” History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences 45:23. DOI: 10.1007/s40656-023-00581-8
    • download-icon Ndhlovu, A., Durand, P., and Ramsey, G. (2021) “Programmed cell death as a black queen in microbial communities” Molecular Ecology 30: 1110-1119. DOI: 10.1111/mec.15757
    • download-icon Durand, P. and Ramsey, G. (2018) “The nature of programmed cell death” Biological Theory. DOI: 10.1007/s13752-018-0311-0
  7. Agustin Fuentes

    http://afuentes.com

    Lab publications:

    • download-icon Hollocher, H., Fuentes, A., Pence, C. H., Ramsey, G., Sportiello, D. J., and Wirth, M. M. (2011) “[Review of] On the Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition, and Fiction.” The Quarterly Review of Biology 86(2): 137-138. DOI: 10.1086/659913.
    • download-icon Ramsey, G., Hollocher, H., Fuentes, A., Pence, C. H., and Siu, E. (2010) “[Review of] Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection.” The Quarterly Review of Biology 85(4): 499-500. DOI: 10.1086/656856.
  8. Hope Hollocher

    http://biology.nd.edu/people/hope-hollocher/

    Lab publications:

    • download-icon Hollocher, H., Pence, C. H., Ramsey, G., and Wirth, M. M. (2013) “A path to success? A Review of Evolution, Development, and the Predictable Genome by David L. Stern.” Evolution and Development 15(1): 80–82. DOI: 10.1111/ede.12016.
    • download-icon Hollocher, H., Fuentes, A., Pence, C. H., Ramsey, G., Sportiello, D. J., and Wirth, M. M. (2011) “[Review of] On the Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition, and Fiction.” The Quarterly Review of Biology 86(2): 137-138. DOI: 10.1086/659913.
    • download-icon Pence, C. H., Hollocher, H., Nichols, R., Ramsey, G., Siu, E., and Sportiello, D. J. (2011) “[Review of] Did Darwin Write the Origin Backwards? Philosophical Essays on Darwin’s Theory.” Philosophy of Science 78(4): 705-709. DOI: 10.1086/661775.
    • download-icon Ramsey, G., Hollocher, H., Fuentes, A., Pence, C. H., and Siu, E. (2010) “[Review of] Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection.” The Quarterly Review of Biology 85(4): 499-500. DOI: 10.1086/656856.
  9. Nalini Nadkarni

    http://nalininadkarni.com

    Lab publications:

    • download-icon Cobb, A., Nadkarni, N., Ramsey, G., and Svoboda, A. J. (2001) “Recolonization of bigleaf maple branches by epiphytic bryophytes following experimental disturbance.” The Canadian Journal of Botany 79: 1-8. DOI: 10.1139/b00-134
  10. Andrew Ndhlovu

    https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrew_Ndhlovu

    Lab publications:

  11. Ryan Nichols

    http://philosophy.fullerton.edu/people/profile/ryan_nichols.aspx

    Lab publications:

    • download-icon Pence, C. H., Hollocher, H., Nichols, R., Ramsey, G., Siu, E., and Sportiello, D. J. (2011) “[Review of] Did Darwin Write the Origin Backwards? Philosophical Essays on Darwin’s Theory.” Philosophy of Science 78(4): 705-709. DOI: 10.1086/661775.
  12. Daniel Sportiello

    https://www.umary.edu/about/directory/daniel-john-sportiello-phd

    Lab publications:

    • download-icon Hollocher, H., Fuentes, A., Pence, C. H., Ramsey, G., Sportiello, D. J., and Wirth, M. M. (2011) “[Review of] On the Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition, and Fiction.” The Quarterly Review of Biology 86(2): 137-138. DOI: 10.1086/659913.
    • download-icon Pence, C. H., Hollocher, H., Nichols, R., Ramsey, G., Siu, E., and Sportiello, D. J. (2011) “[Review of] Did Darwin Write the Origin Backwards? Philosophical Essays on Darwin’s Theory.” Philosophy of Science 78(4): 705-709. DOI: 10.1086/661775.
  13. Carel van Schaik

    https://www.aim.uzh.ch/en/members/emeriti/vanschaik.html

    Lab publications:

  14. Michelle Wirth

    Lab publications:

    • download-icon Hollocher, H., Pence, C. H., Ramsey, G., and Wirth, M. M. (2013) “A path to success? A Review of Evolution, Development, and the Predictable Genome by David L. Stern.” Evolution and Development 15(1): 80–82. DOI: 10.1111/ede.12016.
    • download-icon Hollocher, H., Fuentes, A., Pence, C. H., Ramsey, G., Sportiello, D. J., and Wirth, M. M. (2011) “[Review of] On the Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition, and Fiction.” The Quarterly Review of Biology 86(2): 137-138. DOI: 10.1086/659913.