Making Meaning in Biology: From EES to Biosemiotics

Making Meaning in Biology: From the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis to Biosemiotics aims to bridge the gap between what is currently known in biology regarding the meaning-making processes in living organisms, and how these insights are propagated in science, including the degree to which theory reflects state-of-the-art experimental data. Focusing on theory-building from evidence in Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES) and biosemiotics, this workshop explores the various meaning-making processes occurring in various life forms.

The workshop brings together leading experts in EES, eco-evo-devo biology, biosemiotics, philosophy of biology, and related fields to address fundamental questions about agency, motivation, signaling and goal-oriented behavior in organisms. We explore how these concepts extend beyond animals and how these frameworks can enhance our understanding of the processes, synergies, and emergence of life. The event will feature a combination of presentations, interactive sessions, and Open Space Technology to foster dynamic discussions and collaborative idea generation.

Our goal is to dialog on the various relations which organisms benefit from to compose their dashboard understanding of the world as they know it, analyzing the steps in EES that interface with the semiotic features of living systems, exploring fundamental questions about agency, motivation, and goal-oriented behavior across all life forms. We hope to productively cross-pollinate and theory-test, to develop a shared research agenda that operationalizes and methodologically elaborates the forms of meaning in biology, based on insights from EES, biosemiotics, cognitive science, ethology, and other aligned biological paradigms bearing similar family resemblances. These insights have implications for conservation and sustainability science and decision-making, as well as epistemological and ethical consequences for human interventions in natural systems, as well as providing ecological frames of reference for the life systems.