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This property is" /> <title>(PDF) Measurement in biology is methodized by theory | Maël Montévil - Academia.edu</title> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.academia.edu/38904550/Measurement_in_biology_is_methodized_by_theory" /> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-5VKX33P2DS"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-5VKX33P2DS', { cookie_domain: 'academia.edu', send_page_view: false, }); gtag('event', 'page_view', { 'controller': "single_work", 'action': "show", 'controller_action': 'single_work#show', 'logged_in': 'false', 'edge': 'unknown', // Send nil if there is no A/B test bucket, in case some records get logged // with missing data - that way we can distinguish between the two cases. // ab_test_bucket should be of the form <ab_test_name>:<bucket> 'ab_test_bucket': null, }) </script> <script> var $controller_name = 'single_work'; var $action_name = "show"; var $rails_env = 'production'; var $app_rev = '49879c2402910372f4abc62630a427bbe033d190'; var $domain = 'academia.edu'; var $app_host = "academia.edu"; var $asset_host = "academia-assets.com"; var $start_time = new Date().getTime(); var $recaptcha_key = "6LdxlRMTAAAAADnu_zyLhLg0YF9uACwz78shpjJB"; var $recaptcha_invisible_key = "6Lf3KHUUAAAAACggoMpmGJdQDtiyrjVlvGJ6BbAj"; var $disableClientRecordHit = false; </script> <script> window.require = { config: function() { return function() {} } } </script> <script> window.Aedu = window.Aedu || {}; window.Aedu.hit_data = null; window.Aedu.serverRenderTime = new Date(1732419162000); window.Aedu.timeDifference = new Date().getTime() - 1732419162000; </script> <script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ScholarlyArticle","abstract":"We characterize access to empirical objects in biology from a theoretical perspective. Unlike objects in current physical theories, biological objects are the result of a history and their variations continue to generate a history. This property is the starting point of our concept of measurement. We argue that biological measurement is relative to a natural history which is shared by the different objects subjected to the measurement and is more or less constrained by biologists. We call symmetrization the theoretical and often concrete operation which leads to considering biological objects as equivalent in a measurement. Last, we use our notion of measurement to analyze research strategies. Some strategies aim to bring biology closer to the epistemology of physical theories, by studying objects as similar as possible, while others build on biological diversity.","author":[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Person","name":"Maël Montévil"}],"contributor":[],"dateCreated":"2019-04-23","dateModified":null,"datePublished":"2019-01-01","headline":"Measurement in biology is methodized by theory","inLanguage":"en","keywords":["Evolutionary Biology","Theoretical Physics","Philosophy of Science","Philosophy of Biology","Biology","Theoretical biology","Measurement","Reproducibility of Results"],"locationCreated":null,"publication":"Biology \u0026 Philosophy","publisher":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","name":null},"image":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"url":"https://www.academia.edu/38904550/Measurement_in_biology_is_methodized_by_theory","sourceOrganization":[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"EducationalOrganization","name":"ens"}]}</script><link 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to empirical objects in biology from a theoretical perspective. Unlike objects in current physical theories, biological objects are the result of a history and their variations continue to generate a history. This property is the starting point of our concept of measurement. We argue that biological measurement is relative to a natural history which is shared by the different objects subjected to the measurement and is more or less constrained by biologists. We call symmetrization the theoretical and often concrete operation which leads to considering biological objects as equivalent in a measurement. Last, we use our notion of measurement to analyze research strategies. Some strategies aim to bring biology closer to the epistemology of physical theories, by studying objects as similar as possible, while others build on biological diversity. ","publication_date":"2019,,","publication_name":"Biology \u0026 Philosophy"},"document_type":"paper","pre_hit_view_count_baseline":null,"quality":"high","language":"en","title":"Measurement in biology is methodized by theory","broadcastable":true,"draft":false,"has_indexable_attachment":true,"indexable":true}}["work"]; window.loswp.workCoauthors = [28744524]; window.loswp.locale = "en"; window.loswp.countryCode = "SG"; window.loswp.cwvAbTestBucket = ""; window.loswp.designVariant = "ds_vanilla"; window.loswp.fullPageMobileSutdModalVariant = "full_page_mobile_sutd_modal"; window.loswp.useOptimizedScribd4genScript = false; window.loswp.appleClientId = 'edu.academia.applesignon';</script><script defer="" src="https://accounts.google.com/gsi/client"></script><div class="ds-loswp-container"><div class="ds-work-card--grid-container"><div class="ds-work-card--container js-loswp-work-card"><div class="ds-work-card--cover"><div class="ds-work-cover--wrapper"><div class="ds-work-cover--container"><button class="ds-work-cover--clickable js-swp-download-button" data-signup-modal="{"location":"swp-splash-paper-cover","attachmentId":59003420,"attachmentType":"pdf"}"><img alt="First page of “Measurement in biology is methodized by theory”" class="ds-work-cover--cover-thumbnail" src="https://0.academia-photos.com/attachment_thumbnails/59003420/mini_magick20190423-31718-c9qsrf.png?1556040701" /><img alt="PDF Icon" class="ds-work-cover--file-icon" src="//a.academia-assets.com/assets/single_work_splash/adobe.icon-574afd46eb6b03a77a153a647fb47e30546f9215c0ee6a25df597a779717f9ef.svg" /><div class="ds-work-cover--hover-container"><span class="material-symbols-outlined" style="font-size: 20px" translate="no">download</span><p>Download Free PDF</p></div><div class="ds-work-cover--ribbon-container">Download Free PDF</div><div class="ds-work-cover--ribbon-triangle"></div></button></div></div></div><div class="ds-work-card--work-information"><h1 class="ds-work-card--work-title">Measurement in biology is methodized by theory</h1><div class="ds-work-card--work-authors ds-work-card--detail"><a class="ds-work-card--author js-wsj-grid-card-author ds2-5-body-md ds2-5-body-link" data-author-id="28744524" href="https://ens.academia.edu/Ma%C3%ABlMont%C3%A9vil"><img alt="Profile image of Maël Montévil" class="ds-work-card--author-avatar" src="https://0.academia-photos.com/28744524/11941342/13306232/s65_ma_l.mont_vil.jpg" />Maël Montévil</a></div><p class="ds-work-card--detail ds2-5-body-sm">2019, Biology & Philosophy</p><p class="ds-work-card--work-abstract ds-work-card--detail ds2-5-body-md">We characterize access to empirical objects in biology from a theoretical perspective. Unlike objects in current physical theories, biological objects are the result of a history and their variations continue to generate a history. This property is the starting point of our concept of measurement. We argue that biological measurement is relative to a natural history which is shared by the different objects subjected to the measurement and is more or less constrained by biologists. We call symmetrization the theoretical and often concrete operation which leads to considering biological objects as equivalent in a measurement. Last, we use our notion of measurement to analyze research strategies. Some strategies aim to bring biology closer to the epistemology of physical theories, by studying objects as similar as possible, while others build on biological diversity. </p><div class="ds-work-card--button-container"><button class="ds2-5-button js-swp-download-button" data-signup-modal="{"location":"continue-reading-button--work-card","attachmentId":59003420,"attachmentType":"pdf","workUrl":"https://www.academia.edu/38904550/Measurement_in_biology_is_methodized_by_theory"}">See full PDF</button><button class="ds2-5-button ds2-5-button--secondary js-swp-download-button" data-signup-modal="{"location":"download-pdf-button--work-card","attachmentId":59003420,"attachmentType":"pdf","workUrl":"https://www.academia.edu/38904550/Measurement_in_biology_is_methodized_by_theory"}"><span class="material-symbols-outlined" style="font-size: 20px" translate="no">download</span>Download PDF</button></div></div></div></div><div data-auto_select="false" data-client_id="331998490334-rsn3chp12mbkiqhl6e7lu2q0mlbu0f1b" data-doc_id="59003420" data-landing_url="https://www.academia.edu/38904550/Measurement_in_biology_is_methodized_by_theory" data-login_uri="https://www.academia.edu/registrations/google_one_tap" data-moment_callback="onGoogleOneTapEvent" id="g_id_onload"></div><div class="ds-top-related-works--grid-container"><div class="ds-related-content--container ds-top-related-works--container"><h2 class="ds-related-content--heading">Related papers</h2><div class="ds-related-work--container js-wsj-grid-card" data-collection-position="0" data-entity-id="2845703" data-sort-order="default"><a class="ds-related-work--title js-wsj-grid-card-title ds2-5-body-md ds2-5-body-link" href="https://www.academia.edu/2845703/Measurement_and_meaning_in_biology">Measurement and meaning in biology</a><div class="ds-related-work--metadata"><a class="js-wsj-grid-card-author ds2-5-body-sm ds2-5-body-link" data-author-id="184446" href="https://yale.academia.edu/GunterWagner">Gunter Wagner</a></div><p class="ds-related-work--metadata ds2-5-body-xs">2011</p><p class="ds-related-work--abstract ds2-5-body-sm">ABSTRACT Measurement-the assignment of numbers to attributes of the natural world-is central to all scientific inference. 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PDF</span><span class="material-symbols-outlined" style="font-size: 18px" translate="no">chevron_right</span></a></div></div><div class="ds-related-work--container js-wsj-grid-card" data-collection-position="6" data-entity-id="25036360" data-sort-order="default"><a class="ds-related-work--title js-wsj-grid-card-title ds2-5-body-md ds2-5-body-link" href="https://www.academia.edu/25036360/Rehabilitating_Biology_as_a_Natural_History">Rehabilitating Biology as a Natural History</a><div class="ds-related-work--metadata"><a class="js-wsj-grid-card-author ds2-5-body-sm ds2-5-body-link" data-author-id="290261" href="https://u-tokyo.academia.edu/TakashiIkegami">Takashi Ikegami</a></div><p class="ds-related-work--metadata ds2-5-body-xs">Adaptive Behavior, 2009</p><div class="ds-related-work--ctas"><button class="ds2-5-text-link ds2-5-text-link--inline js-swp-download-button" data-signup-modal="{"location":"wsj-grid-card-download-pdf-modal","work_title":"Rehabilitating Biology as a Natural 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href="https://www.academia.edu/7547109/Experimental_philosophy_of_biology_notes_from_the_field">Experimental philosophy of biology: notes from the field</a><div class="ds-related-work--metadata"><a class="js-wsj-grid-card-author ds2-5-body-sm ds2-5-body-link" data-author-id="13548673" href="https://mq.academia.edu/KarolaStotz">Karola Stotz</a></div><p class="ds-related-work--metadata ds2-5-body-xs">Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 2009</p><div class="ds-related-work--ctas"><button class="ds2-5-text-link ds2-5-text-link--inline js-swp-download-button" data-signup-modal="{"location":"wsj-grid-card-download-pdf-modal","work_title":"Experimental philosophy of biology: notes from the field","attachmentId":34109907,"attachmentType":"pdf","work_url":"https://www.academia.edu/7547109/Experimental_philosophy_of_biology_notes_from_the_field","alternativeTracking":true}"><span class="material-symbols-outlined" style="font-size: 18px" translate="no">download</span><span class="ds2-5-text-link__content">Download free PDF</span></button><a class="ds2-5-text-link ds2-5-text-link--inline js-wsj-grid-card-view-pdf" href="https://www.academia.edu/7547109/Experimental_philosophy_of_biology_notes_from_the_field"><span class="ds2-5-text-link__content">View PDF</span><span class="material-symbols-outlined" style="font-size: 18px" translate="no">chevron_right</span></a></div></div><div class="ds-related-work--container js-wsj-grid-card" data-collection-position="8" data-entity-id="223858" data-sort-order="default"><a class="ds-related-work--title js-wsj-grid-card-title ds2-5-body-md ds2-5-body-link" href="https://www.academia.edu/223858/Object_Spaces_An_Organizing_Strategy_for_Biological_Theorizing">Object Spaces: An Organizing Strategy for Biological Theorizing</a><div class="ds-related-work--metadata"><a class="js-wsj-grid-card-author ds2-5-body-sm ds2-5-body-link" data-author-id="61424" href="https://asu.academia.edu/BeckettSterner">Beckett Sterner</a></div><p class="ds-related-work--metadata ds2-5-body-xs">Biological Theory, 2009</p><p class="ds-related-work--abstract ds2-5-body-sm">A classic analytic approach to biological phenomena seeks to refine definitions until classes are sufficiently homogenous to support prediction and explanation, but this approach founders on cases where a single process produces objects with similar forms but heterogeneous behaviors. I introduce object spaces as a tool to tackle this challenging diversity of biological objects in terms of causal processes with well-defined formal properties. Object spaces have three primary components: (1) a combinatorial biological process such as protein synthesis that generates objects with parts that are modular, independent, and organized according to an invariant syntax; (2) a notion of “distance” that relates the objects according to rules of change over time as found in nature or useful for algorithms; (3) mapping functions defined on the space that map its objects to other spaces or apply an evaluative criterion to measure an important quality, such as parsimony or biochemical function. Once defined, an object space can be used to represent and simulate the dynamics of phenomena on multiple scales; it can also be used as a tool for predicting higher-order properties of the objects, including stitching together series of causal processes. Object spaces are the basis for a strategy of theorizing, discovery, and analysis in biology: as heuristic idealizations of biology, they help us transform inchoate, intractable problems into articulated, well-structured ones. Developing an object space is a research strategy with a long, successful history under many other names, and it offers a unifying but not overreaching approach to biological theory.</p><div class="ds-related-work--ctas"><button class="ds2-5-text-link ds2-5-text-link--inline js-swp-download-button" data-signup-modal="{"location":"wsj-grid-card-download-pdf-modal","work_title":"Object Spaces: An Organizing Strategy for Biological Theorizing","attachmentId":31716296,"attachmentType":"pdf","work_url":"https://www.academia.edu/223858/Object_Spaces_An_Organizing_Strategy_for_Biological_Theorizing","alternativeTracking":true}"><span class="material-symbols-outlined" style="font-size: 18px" translate="no">download</span><span class="ds2-5-text-link__content">Download free PDF</span></button><a class="ds2-5-text-link ds2-5-text-link--inline js-wsj-grid-card-view-pdf" href="https://www.academia.edu/223858/Object_Spaces_An_Organizing_Strategy_for_Biological_Theorizing"><span class="ds2-5-text-link__content">View PDF</span><span class="material-symbols-outlined" style="font-size: 18px" translate="no">chevron_right</span></a></div></div><div class="ds-related-work--container js-wsj-grid-card" data-collection-position="9" data-entity-id="32532247" data-sort-order="default"><a class="ds-related-work--title js-wsj-grid-card-title ds2-5-body-md ds2-5-body-link" href="https://www.academia.edu/32532247/Recent_Work_in_The_Philosophy_of_Biology">Recent Work in The Philosophy of Biology</a><div class="ds-related-work--metadata"><a class="js-wsj-grid-card-author ds2-5-body-sm ds2-5-body-link" data-author-id="70380" href="https://durham.academia.edu/ChristopherJAustin">Christopher J. Austin</a></div><p class="ds-related-work--metadata ds2-5-body-xs">2017</p><p class="ds-related-work--abstract ds2-5-body-sm">The biological sciences have always proven a fertile ground for philosophical analysis, one from which has grown a rich tradition stemming from Aristotle and flowering with Darwin. And although contemporary philosophy is increasingly becoming conceptually entwined with the study of the empirical sciences with the data of the latter now being regularly utilised in the establishment and defence of the frameworks of the former, a practice especially prominent in the philosophy of physics, the development of that tradition hasn't received the wider attention it so thoroughly deserves. 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In: [2012] Philosophy of Science Assoc. 23rd Biennial Mtg (San Diego, CA) > PSA 2012 Contributed Papers</a><div class="ds-related-work--metadata"><a class="js-related-work-grid-card-author ds2-5-body-sm ds2-5-body-link" data-author-id="13858255" href="https://etown.academia.edu/Silberstein">Michael Silberstein</a></div><p class="ds-related-work--metadata ds2-5-body-xs">Philosophy of Science</p><div class="ds-related-work--ctas"><button class="ds2-5-text-link ds2-5-text-link--inline js-swp-download-button" data-signup-modal="{"location":"wsj-grid-card-download-pdf-modal","work_title":"Silberstein, Michael and Chemero, Tony (2012) Constraints on Localization and Decomposition as Explanatory Strategies in the Biological Sciences. 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