Project Description

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Eric Desjardins

RESEARCH AREAS:

  • Philosophy of Biology

  • Philosophy of Science

  • Environmental Philosophy

CONTACT:

  • edesjar3@uwo.ca

  • Rotman Institute of Philosophy
    Western University
    Western Interdisciplinary Research Building, 7168
    London, Ontario, Canada
    N6A 3K7

ERIC DESJARDINS

Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Western University

Eric Desjardins is an Associate Professor in the Philosophy Department at Western University. His research and teaching delve into the philosophical implications of biological and environmental sciences, with a particular focus on historical contingency and biological entanglement. He explores how historical accidents shape life processes and how organisms are intricately intertwined with their socio-ecological environments. Understanding these complex relationships is crucial for developing robust theories, explanations, and practical solutions to pressing issues such as health, resilience, and sustainability.

Desjardins’ work bridges the gap between theoretical representations and real-world applications. He demonstrates how philosophical frameworks can inform more effective and ethical decision-making in a world increasingly impacted by human activity.

Desjardins earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of British Columbia.

BOOK

Barker, Gillian, Eric Desjardins and Trevor Pearce (eds.) (2013) Entangled Life: Organism and Environment in the Biological and Social Sciences, Springer Series: History, Philosophy & Theory of the Life Sciences. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7067-6

ARTICLES

Shaw, J. & Desjardins, E (under review). “Arne Naess: From Pluralism to Deep Ecology.”

  •      Singh, B., Jevnikar, A. M., & Desjardins, E. (2024). Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and Regulation of Immunity: Challenges and Opportunities. Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis, 72(1). https://doi.org/10.2478/aite-2024-0006
  •      Desjardins, E., Oswick, D., & Fox, C. W. (2023). On the Ambivalence of Control in Experimental Investigation of Historically Contingent Processes. Journal of the Philosophy of History, 17(1), 130-153. https://doi.org/10.1163/18722636-12341492
  •      Desjardins, E., J. Kutz, N. Kranke, A.S. Lindeza, H Richter (2021), Beyond Standardization: Improving External Validity and Reproducibility in Experimental Evolution, BioScience 71(5) 543-552.  https://doi-org.proxy1.lib.uwo.ca/10.1093/biosci/biab008
  •      Desjardins, E. (2019) On the meaning of socio-ecological coevolution. In Linquist, S. & J. Odenbach (eds.) Philosophical Topics, Special Issue in Philosophy of Ecology, 47(1) 45-64. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26948091
  •      Bhagirath S., K.L Summers,.,  G. Barker, E. Desjardins, C. Weijer, and J. Madrenas. (2019). Emergence of human immunoprofiling in health and disease. Current Trends in Immunology 20: 11-19.
  •      Malaterre, C., A. C. Dussault, S. Rousseau-Mermans, G. Barker, B. E. Beisner, F. Bouchard, E. Desjardins, I. T. Handa, S. W. Kembel, G. Lajoie, V. Maris, A. Munson, J. Odenbaugh, T. Poisot, B. J. Shapiro, C. A. Suttle. (2019). Functional diversity: An epistemic roadmap. Bioscience.  https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz089
  •      Desjardins, E., J. Donhauser, and G. Barker (2019), Ecological Historicity, Novelty and Functionality in the Anthropocene, Environmental Values, 28: 275-303.  https://doi.org/10.3197/096327119X15519764179791
  •      Desjardins, E., M. Van de Wiel, and Y. Rousseau (2018), “Predicting, Explaining, and Exploring with Computer Simulation in Fluvial Geomorphology.” Earth Science Reviews.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2018.06.015
  •      Desjardins, E., G. Barker, Z. Lindo, C. Dieleman, A. Dussault (2015) “Promoting Resilience”, Quarterly Review of Biology 90(2): 147-165 https://doi.org/10.1086/681439
  •      Desjardins, E. (2015) “Historicity and Ecological Restoration”, Biology and Philosophy 30: 77-98 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-014-9467-6
  •      Desjardins, E. (2011) “Reflexions on Path Dependence and Irreversibility : Lessons From Evolutionary Biology”, Philosophy of Science, 78(5):724–738.  https://doi.org/10.1086/662560
  •      Desjardins, E. (2011) “Historicity and Experimental Evolution” in Biology and Philosophy, 26: 339-364. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-011-9256-4
  •      Beatty, J. and E. Desjardins (2009), “Natural Selection and History,” Biology and Philosophy, 24: 231-246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-008-9149-3

CHAPTERS IN BOOK

Desjardins, E., P. Perseaud, J. Donhauser (Forthcoming) “Exploring the impact of biomimicking pollinator robots on honey bee colonies” in Assailing the Anthropocene, Collection of essays presented at a workshop at BGSU, to be published by Routledge.

  •      Desjardins, E. (2021) “La perspective geofontionelle dans la recherche et gouvernance des écosystèmes nouveaux” in Dussault, Antoine and Sophia Rousseau-Mermans (eds.)  Penser la protection de l’environnement à partir de l’écologie : Débats historiques et contemporains, Éditions Matériologiques.
  •      Desjardins, E., J. Shaw, G. Barker, and J. Bzovy (2019) “Pluralism and the Geofunctional Perspective” in Desroches, Tyler, Frank Jankunis, and Byron Williston (eds.) From North of the 49: New Perspectives in Canadian Environmental Philosophy, McGill University Press.
  •      Desjardins, E. (2016) “Contingent Evolution: Not by Chance Alone” in Ramsey, Grant (Ed.) Chance in Evolution, Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
  •      Desjardins, E., G. Barker and J. Madrenas (2013) “Thinking Outside the Mouse” in Barker, Gillian, Eric Desjardins and Trevor Pearce (eds.) Entangled Life : Organism and Environment in the Biological and Social Sciences, Springer Series: History, Philosophy & Theory of the Life Sciences. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-94-007-7067-6_9

BOOK REVIEWS

La biodiversité en question. Enjeux philosophiques, éthiques et scientifiques, Elena Casetta & Julien Delord (Eds). Paris: Editions Matériologique. In Studies in History and Philosophy of Science – Section C, 2015.

  •      On the Meaning of Biological Contingencies for Human Lives. Review of: Turning Points: How critical events have driven human evolution, life, and development. By Kampourakis, K. USA: Prometheus Books. In Philosophy, Theory, and Practice in Biology – 2019.

ARTICLE IN MEDIA

  •      Desjardins, E. (2020). Résilience: Un mot, plusieurs significations. à bâbord ! : Revue sociale et politique, No. 86.
  • Replaying Life’s Tape: Historical Contingency and the Historical Sciences. SSHRC Insight Grant (2020-2025) Co-PI: John Beatty (UBC)

The main challenges in this project are: 1) to show how historical science was long seen as a problematic category defying the conventional contrasts between good science and mere history – to make history more scientific was perhaps a worthy aim, but to make science more historical was to compromise its explanatory character; 2) to explain how and why this attitude came to be questioned, including the political and religious contexts; and 3) to show how the explanatory characteristics of historical science are not disadvantages but assets.

  • The Extended Synbio Network

This project aims to investigate how synthetic biology projects can be thought of as deeply social practices. The central goal is to understand how different actors, such as scientists, advocacy groups, the public, funding agencies, environmentalists, and commercial agencies can be united or divided on a synthetic biology proposal in light of whether their group values conflict.

  • Socio-Ecological Resilience and Coevolution

The objectives of this project are 1) to contrast and evaluate the different conceptual frameworks used to represent and study socio-ecological systems, and 2) to emphasize the importance of a co-evolutionary perspective within which we can track the long-term reciprocal interactions between humans and their natural environment.

Undergraduate

PHIL 1130, Big Ideas

PHIL 1200, Critical Thinking and Reasoning

PHIL 2020, Basic Logic

PHIL 2300, Introduction to Philosophy of Science

PHIL 2320, Philosophy of Science for Integrated Science Program

PHIL 2033, Introduction to Environmental Philosophy

PHIL 2035, Nature, Ecology, and The Future

PHIL 2350, Darwinian Revolution

PHIL 2355(650), Sustainability: Philosophical Perspectives (online)

PHIL 3340, Conceptual Issues in Evolutionary Biology

PHIL 4311, 4310 Problems in Philosophy of Science (Philosophy of Technology)

PHIL 4320, Synthetic Biology and Philosophy

PHIL 4991, Philosophy of Ecology and Conservation

PHIL 4993, Environmental Philosophy

Graduate

PHIL 9235, Synthetic Biology and Philosophy

PHIL 9210, The Problem of Historicity in Biology and Economics

PHIL 9238, Philosophy for Wicked Problems

PHIL 9220B, Philosophy of Ecology and Conservation

PHIL 9255 Chance, Determinism, Explanation and Reductionism in Biology

PHIL 9889, Environmental Philosophy

PHIL 9900, Prospectus Course

Faculty Research Domains

Rotman Institute faculty members are listed below by shared research areas. Visit individual member profiles to learn more.