Document Type
Book
Publication Date
6-23-2026
Abstract
My goal in this chapter is to show that symbiosis, especially symbiotic interactions between ‘macrobes’ (non-microbial organisms) and microbes, is a central topic in John Dupré’s work. This topic is undeniably one of the topics by which Dupré has gained wide recognition among practicing scientists, in addition to his recognition within the philosophical community. I spell out why symbiosis has turned out to be a sort of ideal trope for Dupré, as it encapsulates many of his main personal themes—from promiscuous realism to process ontology. I then show that immunology offers one interesting and complementary entry point into microbial symbiosis and biological individuality.
Recommended Citation
Pradeu, T. (2026). Promiscuous Mutualisms: John Dupré and the Centrality of Symbiosis in the Living World. In: Leonelli, S., Neto, C., Guttinger, S. (eds) Life Beyond Human Boundaries: John Dupré’s Philosophy and the Interdisciplinary Study of the Life Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-26977-5_7
Copyright
The authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Included in
Biology Commons, Other Immunology and Infectious Disease Commons, Other Microbiology Commons
Comments
This chapter was originally published in Sabina Leonelli, Celso Neto, Stephan Guttinger (Eds.), Life Beyond Human Boundaries: John Dupré’s Philosophy and the Interdisciplinary Study of the Life Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-26977-5_7