Theoretical Biology and Philosophy of Biology

Theoretical biology is one of the main focuses of our department and is generally defined as a scientific field aimed at using mathematical models, abstract concepts, and simulations to understand biological processes and systems. Instead of directly experimenting with living organisms, theoretical biology seeks to explain biological phenomena based on theoretical principles, often drawing from other disciplines such as physics, chemistry, computer science, linguistics, and philosophy. This approach allows scientists to describe and analyze complex dynamics in ecosystems, evolutionary processes, or cellular functions, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of life at various levels of organization. In our group, theoretical biology significantly overlaps with what is called the philosophy of biology, which examines fundamental philosophical questions related to biology or our understanding of life. It includes topics such as the boundaries between living and non-living, the origin of life, evolutionary theory, the concept of biological species, various types of inheritance, the study of organismal agency, and many other themes. The philosophy of biology asks questions such as what are the boundaries between the living and non-living, what are the paths of biological evolution, or the degree of application of mechanism or determinism in organismal processes. It also inquires into the nature of the metaphysics of the science of life, its consequences, and potential shortcomings.

Group Members:

  • doc. RNDr. Anton Markoš, CSc. – cellular, developmental, and evolutionary biology; biosemiotics, especially the intersections between historical and theoretical sciences.
  • Mgr. Jana Švorcová, Ph.D. – philosophy of biology, influences of non-genetic variability and inheritance on the evolution of organisms, organic memory, organismal agency, processual philosophy, and biosemiotics.
  • Mgr. Jan Toman, Ph.D. – macroevolution, evolution of evolvability, modularity and hierarchical complexity, sorting based on stability and its role in evolution, frozen evolution theory, evolution of sexual reproduction.

Doctoral Students:

  • Mgr. Matěj Jureček – origin of life, chemical evolution, protobiology, synthetic biology, philosophy of biology.
  • Thor van Walsum, MSc. – biosemiotics, philosophy of biology, species invasiveness, and ecology.

Master’s Students:

  • Kristýna Coufalová – epigenetics, microbial interactions.

Theoretical Biology Seminar

Every Thursday (both semesters) at 15:30, the Theoretical Biology Seminar (MS720S25Z) is held at the department, where topics from all our working groups are discussed. The seminar is conducted in English.

Key Projects:

  • 3/2024–3/2027: Holistic Views on Living Nature in the Light of Modern Biology, Charles University Grant Agency, No. 122824 (Mgr. Matěj Jureček as the principal investigator).
  • 1/2021–12/2023: Contemporary Philosophy of Biology: Organism as an Agent. Czech Science Foundation, No. 20-16633S (Jana Švorcová as principal investigator).
  • 1/2018–12/2023: Nature and Culture: Historical, Cultural, and Biological Concepts of Human Nature. Charles University Research Centre programme No. 204056 (team members).

Domestic Collaboration:

  • Faculty of Humanities, Palacký University in Olomouc, Center for Theoretical Studies.

International Collaboration:

  • Distributed Language Group at the University of Southern Denmark (Stephen Cowley);
  • Department of Semiotics at the University of Tartu, Estonia (Kalevi Kull, Riin Magnus, Nelly Mäekivi);
  • School of Natural Sciences and Health, Tallinn University, Estonia (Andres Kurismaa);
  • Complexity Science Hub, Vienna, Austria (Johannes Jaeger);
  • Department of Philosophy, University of Dundee, Scotland (T. Röck);
  • Technical University, Berlin, Germany (S. Koutroufinis).

Selected Publications:

  • Markoš A and Švorcová J (2019) Epigenetic Processes and the Evolution of Life. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis, Boca Raton.
  • Ovčáčková L, Švorcová J (2024) Metaphysics of the Organic Whole: Ehrenfels, Uexküll, and Merleau-Ponty. Biosemiotics 17, 341–360.
  • Švorcová J (ed.) (2024) Organismal Agency. Biological Concepts and Their Philosophical Foundations. Springer.
  • Švorcová J, Štěrbová Z, Jacques J, Havlíček J, Hampl P & Fulínová E (2024) Sex – Gender – Procreation. With a Few Remarks on Gender. Pavel Mervart, Červený Kostelec.
  • Švorcová J, Lacková L, Fulínová E (2023) Evolution by Habit: Peirce, Lamarck and Teleology in Biology. Theory in Biosciences 142, 411–422.
  • Švorcová J, Markoš A (2023) Closures as a Precondition of Life, Agency, and Semiosis, Biosemiotics (16)1, 45–59.
  • Toman J (2020) Evoluce3: Evolutionary Trends, Evolvability, and the Frozen Evolution Theory. Academia.
  • Toman J, Flegr J (2017) Stability-based Sorting: The Forgotten Process Behind (Not Only) Biological Evolution. Journal of Theoretical Biology 435: 29-41.

Thesis Topics:

To be added.