Organisms

In episode 107 of Overthink, David and Ellie take up a philosophical perspective on biology’s squirmiest concept: the organism. From Kant’s distinction between organisms and mechanisms, to Deleuze and Guattari’s infamous call for ‘bodies without organs,’ they uncover and question the ontological and metaphorical baggage behind the concept. Their exploration takes them from the bottom of Sea of Naples to the heights of Romantic Idealism, passing through the tensions of contemporary genetics. Plus, in the Patreon bonus, they discuss the unexpected relations between organisms, politics, and reason through the thought of Lukács and Canguilhem. Check out the episode's extended cut here! Works Discussed Georges Canguillhem, Knowledge of Life Gilles Deleuze, Difference and Repetition Deleuze & Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus Immanuel Kant, Critique of the Power of Judgment Georg Lukács, The Destruction of Reason Jennifer Mensch, Kant’s Organicism: Epigenesis and the Development of Critical Philosophy Friedrich Schelling, First Outline of a System of the Philosophy of Nature Lewis Thomas, The Medusa and the Snail D. M. Walsh, Organisms, Agency, and Evolution Patreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.com Instagram & Twitter | @overthink_pod Email | dearoverthink@gmail.com YouTube | Overthink podcast Support the Show.