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Greg Rupik

@gregoryrupik

History & philosophy of biology | Author- Remapping Biology with Goethe, Schelling, and Herder: Romanticizing Evolution (Routledge) | Chief of Staff and University Secretary, University of St. Michael's College in the University of Toronto | he/him | πŸ‹πŸŒ±πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

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24.09.2023
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Latest posts by Greg Rupik @gregoryrupik

Here's philosopher of bio Denis Walsh's endorsement of my book as an integrated HPS project. Remapping Biology with Goethe, Schelling, and Herder is shipping in paperback (finally!) on July 30th! Link below. #booksky #philsky #histbio #philbio #ihps #agency #evolution #biosky

27.07.2025 12:13 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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This term I'm teaching "Aliens & the Heavens: Christian Encounters with Cosmic Pluralism," a St. Mike's First Year Foundations course in the University of Toronto's Faculty of Arts & Science. So wonderful to be back in the classroom introducing students to #HPS & disciplines like #astrobiology!
πŸ‘½βœοΈπŸŒπŸ”­

07.01.2026 11:19 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Like and Follow!
πŸ‹πŸŒ± #hpbio #philbio

04.12.2025 19:52 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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What Makes Goethe So Special? The German poet’s dauntingly eclectic accomplishments were founded on a tireless interrogation of how a life should be lived.

A review of Matthew Bell's Goethe: A Life in Ideas in the New Yorker
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

03.12.2025 12:09 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Secondary to start (I want more of an overview) but any interesting primary sourcesβ€”especially earlier onesβ€”would be great, too!

30.11.2025 18:24 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

Any historians of #astrobiology, #xenobiology, and/or #exobiology out there? I'm designing a course and would love to add some readings about the field and its history. Point me in the right direction! #histbio #hpbio

30.11.2025 17:54 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

A biologist at the American Museum of Natural History, Jonathan Coddington, cataloged a new genus of South American spiders in 1986.

Two things about the spider were unique:
they lived in caves & laid cubic eggs.

So he called them genus 'Plato', and that's the nerdiest thing I have read all year.

11.11.2025 12:10 πŸ‘ 300 πŸ” 92 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 1

It was no β€œmere” metaphor: β€œplants do not … possess nerves or a central nervous system; and we may infer that with animals such structures serve only for the more perfect transmission of impressions, and for the more complete intercommunication of the several parts."

πŸ§ͺπŸŒ±πŸ‹ #philsci #HistSTM πŸ¦‹πŸ¦«

06.11.2025 16:28 πŸ‘ 14 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1
Preview
PSA Office Hour - Philosophy of Science Association The PSA Office Hour aims to facilitate interactions between our graduate student membership and prominent philosophers of science, and in a more controlled, accessible, and carbon-conscious setting…

Two weeks until the Philosophy of Science Association’s next office hours! @michelamassimi.bsky.social and Mazviita Chirimuuta on β€œNew approaches to realism.”
Sign up and more information:

10.11.2025 15:15 πŸ‘ 19 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
SW*IP Germany Jahrestagung 2025 - UniversitΓ€t Ulm

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate my 2nd year in Germany than keynoting the German Society for Women in Philosophy - join us in Ulm to discuss openness & democracy on Thursday 13 November: www.uni-ulm.de/einrichtunge... #philsci

11.11.2025 09:09 πŸ‘ 62 πŸ” 11 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Appreciate the mention!

06.11.2025 21:50 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Mosquitoes found in Iceland for first time after record heat Previously the country was one of the world's only mosquito-free zones.

Proof that climate change is real and horrible:

www.bbc.com/news/article...

22.10.2025 10:52 πŸ‘ 173 πŸ” 84 πŸ’¬ 8 πŸ“Œ 4

He looked *great*!

16.10.2025 16:28 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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I am excited to share with you all another episode of #TheYoungIdealist Series featuring @dalianassar.bsky.social
who navigates the viewers through her exciting philosophical work & discussing important issues like Knowledge, Aesthetics, Ethics, Nature & Ecology.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPur...

15.10.2025 05:08 πŸ‘ 26 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1

#HPBio #histsci #histSTM #evobio #HPS

13.10.2025 14:38 πŸ‘ 22 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Next in Dialectical Biology Today: @hylomorphic.bsky.social weaves together historical threads from Hegel, Engels, & others to illustrate how Lewontin's dialectical biology critiques an anti-revolutionary, conservative ideology at the heart of population genetics & evolutionary ecology πŸŒ±πŸ‹

11.10.2025 15:21 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Rasmus GrΓΈnfeldt Winther kicks off day 2 of Dialectical Biology Today, exploring Lewontin's avoidance of "synthesis," identifying the tension between anthropocentric ethics and deep ecology, and wondering how the Ocean might open up a new dialectic in a refreshed Naturphilosophie πŸ‹πŸŒ±

11.10.2025 15:12 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I’m doing the hand symbol for dialectics

11.10.2025 02:20 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Amazing to have Elliott Sober delivering his keynote "Richard Lewontin - Biologist, Philosopher, and Marxist" at the Dialectical Biology Today Conference! πŸŒ±πŸ‹ @ihpst-uoft.bsky.social

10.10.2025 20:18 πŸ‘ 31 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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First up at Dialectical Biology Today: Sonia Sultan illustratesβ€”with great experimental & naturalistic examplesβ€”the interpenetration of organisms and environments; identifies three major challenges that emerge for biologists from this datum; and gives us a good reason to eat our broccoli! πŸ₯¦ πŸ‹πŸŒ±

10.10.2025 17:47 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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The "Dialectical Biology Today" Conference is...Today! Here's @jonothingeb.bsky.social welcoming participants to this gathering considering the legacies of Richard Lewontin. πŸŒ±πŸ‹ @ihpst-uoft.bsky.social
You can see the schedule & join on Zoom here! ihpst.utoronto.ca/events/diale...

10.10.2025 16:59 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

Join us for this great conference on the legacies of Lewontin and Dialectical Biology! πŸŒ±πŸ‹ #philbio #evolution #histbio

23.09.2025 10:38 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

Virality Vitality is now a paperback! Discount code: SNPF25.

How do viral phenomena undermine basic concepts of the life sciences and philosophy, including the body, immunity, self-reproduction, and species? How does this affect synthetic biology’s attempts to control life?

02.10.2025 14:25 πŸ‘ 12 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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An awesome hybrid conference on the legacies of Richard Lewontin is coming to Toronto. Elliott Sober is the keynote! "Dialectical Biology Today" runs from October 10-12. Learn more and register below! #philbio πŸ‹πŸŒ±
@ihpst-uoft.bsky.social

ihpst.utoronto.ca/events/diale...

19.09.2025 10:35 πŸ‘ 24 πŸ” 11 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

Rasmus GrΓΈnfeldt Winther's *When Maps Become the World* profoundly inspired my philosophical approach in my book, especially his notions of countermapping, pernicious reification, and contextual objectivity. I'm so grateful for his enthusiastic support of my project to Romanticize evolution! πŸ‹πŸŒ±

26.09.2025 10:35 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Join us for this great conference on the legacies of Lewontin and Dialectical Biology! πŸŒ±πŸ‹ #philbio #evolution #histbio

23.09.2025 10:38 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

Despite being a major antagonist in the early chapters of my book, Michael Ruse provided a gracious and supportive peer review of my book before publication, and penned this early review. Remapping Biology with Goethe, Schelling, and Herder is now available in paperback. Check it out!
#philbio #hps

02.09.2025 11:05 πŸ‘ 21 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Cover of General System Theory.

Cover of General System Theory.

Ludwig von Bertalanffyβ€”the architect of β€œGeneral System Theory”—was born OTD in 1901.

Mechanism β€œprovides us with no grasp of … organic 'wholeness,’ … of organic 'teleology,’ or of the historical character of organisms.…”

πŸŒ±πŸ‹πŸ¦«πŸ¦‹ #HistSTM #PhilSci #evolbio #STS πŸ§ͺ

19.09.2025 14:31 πŸ‘ 18 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2
Conference title: Dialectical Biology Today: Legacies of Richard Lewontin, and image of Lewontin in Black and White with intense expression in front of a chalkboard holding up a fist, 
When and Where
Friday, October 10, 2025 11:30 am to Sunday, October 12, 2025 2:00 pm
Music Room (218)
Goldring Student Centre
150 Charles St W, Toronto, ON M5S 1K5 | and online via Zoom

Conference title: Dialectical Biology Today: Legacies of Richard Lewontin, and image of Lewontin in Black and White with intense expression in front of a chalkboard holding up a fist, When and Where Friday, October 10, 2025 11:30 am to Sunday, October 12, 2025 2:00 pm Music Room (218) Goldring Student Centre 150 Charles St W, Toronto, ON M5S 1K5 | and online via Zoom

I'm excited to share with you all a conference I'm planning Oct. 10-12: Dialectical Biology Today: Legacies of Richard Lewontin.

It will be hybrid in Toronto and on zoom, so please join us however you can! Register for zoom link here: ihpst.utoronto.ca/events/diale...

15.09.2025 17:35 πŸ‘ 80 πŸ” 38 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 2
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An awesome hybrid conference on the legacies of Richard Lewontin is coming to Toronto. Elliott Sober is the keynote! "Dialectical Biology Today" runs from October 10-12. Learn more and register below! #philbio πŸ‹πŸŒ±
@ihpst-uoft.bsky.social

ihpst.utoronto.ca/events/diale...

19.09.2025 10:35 πŸ‘ 24 πŸ” 11 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1