Professional
address:
Departamento de Filosofía, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de
Málaga, 29071 Málaga (Spain)
Telephone:
(95) 2131815
Short bionote:
Antonio
Diéguez is professor of Logic and Philosophy of
Science at the University of Málaga, Spain. He was
acting Dean and Vice-dean (1997-2002) of the Faculty of Philosophy and
Humanities at the University of Málaga. He has been a
visiting scholar at the University of Helsinki, at Harvard University, and at
the University of Oxford. He was the first elected president of the Sociedad Iberoamericana de Filosofía de la Biología
(AIFIBI), from November of 2012 to September of 2017.
His
first main research interest was the contemporary debate about scientific
realism. On this issue he published one influential book in Spanish –Realismo científico
(1998)– and more than fifteen papers.
He
has also published several papers and two books as a co-author about Philosophy
of Technology, focusing on the difficulties to get a control of our modern
technology and on the social and political effects of biotechnology. He was
also interested in the similitudes and differences between José Ortega y Gasset and Martin Heidegger.
Afterwards,
he extended his research interests to the field of Philosophy of Biology,
working especially on the evolutionary explanation of the mind and its
philosophical implications (evolutionary epistemology). He has published
several papers and a book on this topic: La
evolución del conocimiento: De la mente animal
a la mente humana (The evolution of Knowledge: From Animal Mind
to Human Mind) (2011).
More
recently, he started two other new lines of research in Philosophy of Biology.
The first one is about the explanatory use of models in biology and the second
one is about the methodological and ontological assumptions of Synthetic
Biology, as well as the possible social impacts of its future development.
In
the last few years he has been interested in the subject of transhumanism and posthumanism, and has published several articles on the
subject, and a book entitled Transhumanismo.
La
búsqueda tecnológica del mejoramiento humano (Transhumanism.
The technological search for human enhancement),
(2017). His
position in this regard is critical, but recognizing the positive effects of
biotechnology, and even its possible application to a moderate human
enhancement.
Educational background:
1987:
Doctor in Philosophy (award with special distinction), University of Málaga (Spain).
1984:
Bachelor Degree in Philosophy and Teacher Training (award with special
distinction), University of Málaga (Spain).
Other studies:
1998-2002:
Completed several Biology courses in the Faculty of Sciences, University of Málaga (Cytology, Zoology, Mathematics, Chemistry, New Trends in Biology, Bio-molecules, Microscopic Plant
Organography, Animal Systematics and Phylogeny, Botanic, Physics, Microbiology,
Biostatistics, Biochemistry, Genetics, Ecology, Theory of Evolution, Genetic
Analysis, Neurophysiology, Ecological Theory, Paleobiology,
Evolutionary Paleontology).
Academic positions:
● May 2010 –
present: Full Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science (Catedrático
de Lógica y Filosofía de la
Ciencia), Department of Philosophy, University of Málaga (Spain)
● June 1989
– May 2010: Associate Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science (Profesor Titular de Lógica y Filosofía de la Ciencia),
Department of Philosophy, University of Málaga
(Spain).
●
October 1987 – May 1989: Temporary
Associate Professor (Profesor Titular Interino), Department of Philosophy, University of Málaga.
●
January 1986 – September 1987: Profesor Colaborador, Department of Philosophy, University of Málaga.
Present teaching:
Philosophy of
Science and Philosophy of Biology
Publications:
Books:
●
(2020) Filosofía de la ciencia. Ciencia,
racionalidad y realidad (Philosophy of Science. Science, Rationality and Reality),
Málaga: UMA Editorial.
●
(2017) Transhumanismo. La búsqueda tecnológica
del mejoramiento humano (Transhumanism. The Techonological Search for Human Enhancement), Barcelona: Herder.
●
(2012) La vida bajo escrutinio. Una
introducción a la filosofía de la biología (Life Under Scrutiny. An Introduction to Philosophy of Biology),
Barcelona: Biblioteca Buridán.
●
(2011) La evolución del
conocimiento. De la mente animal a la mente humana (The Evolution of Knowledge. From Animal Mind to Human Mind), Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva.
●
(2005) Filosofía de la ciencia (Philosophy of Science),
Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva.
●
(1998) Realismo científico. Una
introducción al debate actual en la filosofía de la ciencia (Scientific Realism. An Introduction to the
current Debate in the Philosophy of Science), Málaga: Universidad de Málaga.
● (1988)
La teoría de las ciencias morales en John
Stuart Mill (John Stuart Mill’s Theory
of Moral Sciences), Málaga: Universidad de
Málaga.
Books as editor:
● (2015) Diéguez, A. & J. M. Atencia (eds.) Naturaleza
animal, naturaleza humana (Animal Nature, Human Nature), Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva.
● (2006) Diéguez, A. & J. M. Atencia
(eds.), Genes y máquinas. Aspectos éticos
y sociales de las biotecnologías y las tecnologías de la información. (Genes and Machines. Ethical and Social Aspects of the
Biotechnologies and the Technologies of Information).
●
(2004) Diéguez, A. & J. M. Atencia (eds.) Tecnociencia y cultura a comienzos del siglo
XXI (Technoscience and Culture at the
Beginning of XXI Century), Málaga: Universidad de
Málaga.
● (2003) Diéguez, A. & J. M. Atencia
(eds.) Historia sencilla de la filosofía
reciente (Easy History of Recent Philosophy), Archidona: Aljibe.
Selection of papers and
chapters in books (last years):
●
(2020a) “La apelación a la dignidad en el debate sobre el mejoramiento humano”,
Cuadernos Hispanoamericanos, 835, pp.
30-47.
●
(2020b) “Realismo científico: ¿Cómo encajar a los modelos?”, en B. Borge y N. Gentile (eds.), La
ciencia y el mundo inobservable. Discusiones contemporáneas en torno al
realismo científico, Buenos Aires: EUDEBA, pp. 221-251.
● (2019) (With CARISSA VÉLIZ) “Would Moral
Enhancement Limit Freedom?”, Topoi, 38(1), pp. 29-36.
DOI:
10.1007/s11245-017-9466-8
●
(2018) ““Los profetas ambiguos”, Claves
de Razón Práctica, 257, 2018, pp. 22-31.
●
(2017) “Modelos falsos en la ciencia: un valioso recurso para la comprensión de
los fenómenos”, Metatheoria,
8(1), 2017, pp. 95-105.
●
(2016a) “Transhumanismo: entre el mejoramiento y la aniquilación” (Transhumanism: Between the Enhancement and the Annihilation”), Investigación y ciencia, 482, noviembre,
pp. 48-49.
●
(2016b) “Biología sintética y bioartefactualidad de
lo humano” (“Synthetic biology
and the bio-artefactuality
of the human being”), en
J.E. Linares y E. Arriaga (coords.), Aproximaciones interdisciplinarias a la bioartefactualidad, México: UNAM, pp. 295-326.
●
(2016c), “La biología sintética y el imperativo de mejoramiento” (“Synthetic biology and the imperative of enhancement”), Isegoría, nº 55, pp. 503-528.
● (2015b) (With PALMQVIST, P., M. DUVAL, S.
ROS-MONTOYA & M. P. ESPIGARES) “On the fallacy of using orthogenetic models
of rectilinear change in arvicolid teeth for
estimating the age of the first human settlements in Western Europe”,
Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology,
published online 17 Apr 2015, DOI 10.1080/08912963.2015.1025390
●
(2015c) (With Javier Zamora Bonilla) “Ortega,
filósofo de la técnica” (“Ortega, philosopher of techology”), introduction to José
Ortega y Gasset’s Meditación
de la técnica, Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva.
● (2015d) “Scientific Understanding and the
Explanatory Use of False Models”. in M. Bertolasso (ed.) The
Future of Scientific Practice 'Bio-Techno-Logos', London: Pickering & Chatto Publishers, pp. 161-178.
●
(2014a) “Reflexiones sobre las tecnologías de mejoramiento genético al hilo del
pensamiento de Ortega y Gasset” (“Some reflections on enhancement technologies regarding Ortega y Gasset’s thought”), SCIO,
10, pp. 59-79.
●
(2014b) “La acción tecnológica desde la perspectiva orteguiana: el caso del
transhumanismo” (“The technological
action from an Ortegian perspective:
the transhumanism case”), Revista de Estudios Orteguianos, 29, pp.
131-153.
● (2014c), “El valor de la filosofía”
(“The value of philosophy”), post published in the blog of Ludus Vitalis.
● (2014d)
“Pensamiento conceptual en animales” (“Conceptual thinking
in animals”), in A. Diéguez y J. M. Atencia (eds.), Naturaleza
animal y humana, Madrid: Biblioteca
Nueva, pp. 83-114.
●
(2014e) “Delimitación y defensa del naturalismo (en la ciencia y en la
filosofía)” (Delimitation and defence
of naturalism (in science
and philosophy”), in R. Gutierrez-Lombardo
& J. Sanmartín (eds.), La filosofía
desde la ciencia, México DF: Centro de Estudios Filosóficos, Políticos y
Sociales Vicente Lombardo Toledano, 2014, pp. 21-49.
● (2013a) “When do models provide genuine
understanding, and why does it matter?”, History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences,
35 (4), pp. 599-620.
●
(2013b) “Biología sintética, transhumanismo y ciencia bien ordenada” (“Synthetic Biology, transhumanism, and well-ordered science”), Viento Sur,
131, pp. 71-80.
●
(2013c) “Biotecnologia e responsabilidade
- para além do Prometeu
moderno”, IHU On-Line, 429, pp. 9-14.
(Interview in Portuguese about
synthetic biology).
●
(2013d) “La filosofía de la técnica de Ortega como guía para la acción. Una
comparación con Heidegger”, Revista
Internacional de Tecnología, Conocimiento y Sociedad, 2 (1), pp. 73-97.
(Extended versión in Spanish of Diéguez 2009b).
●
(2013e) (Con Ramón Muñoz-Chápuli) “¿El darwinismo en
crisis?” (“Is Darwinism in
crisis”), Encuentros en la Biología,
vol. 5, nº 141, pp. 121-126.
● (2013f) “Life as a Homeostatic Property
Cluster”, Biological Theory, Volume
7, Issue 2, Page 180-186.
DOI:10.1007/s13752-012-0052-4
●
(2013g) “De nuevo, la mente como excepción. Algunos comentarios críticos acerca
del antinaturalismo de Thomas Nagel”
(“Once more the mind as an exception. Some critical comments about Thomas Nagel’s antinaturalism”), Ludus Vitalis, Vol. XXI / núm
39, pp.
343-354. ISSN: 1133-5165
● (2012a) “La opción naturalista.
Una respuesta a Francisco Soler” (“The naturalistic option. A replay to
Francisco Soler”), Naturaleza y Libertad,
1, pp. 237-264.
● (2012b) “Filosofía sin
milagros. Comentarios finales a la contrarréplica de Francisco Soler” (“Philosophy without miracles. Final comments to
Francisco Soler”), Naturaleza y Libertad,
1, pp. 273-279.
● (2012c) “¿Puede la ciencia
fáustica ofrecer una salvación del nihilismo? Algunas reflexiones sobre el
libro de Andrés Moya Naturaleza y futuro del hombre, (Madrid: Síntesis, 2011)”
(“Can a faustic science offer a salvation of nihilism? Some reflextion on Andrés Moya’s book Naturaleza y futuro
del hombre”), Pasajes: Revista de
pensamiento contemporáneo, ISSN 1575-2259, Nº. 38.
● (2012d) “Carlos Castrodeza: In memoriam”, Boletín de la SLMFCE, nº 56, julio, pp. 3-5.
● (2012e) “Realismo científico.
¿Sigue el debate?” (“Scientific Realism:
Does the Debate Persist?”), Investigación
y Ciencia, 426, marzo, pp. 38-39.
● (2011a) “Conceptual
Thinking in Animals. Some Reflections on Language, Concepts, and Mind”, in
Darwin’s Evolving Legagy, México: Fondo
de Cultura Económica.
●
(2011b) “Kitcher's Modest Realism: The
Reconceptualization of Scientific Objectivity”, in W. J. González (ed.), Scientific Realism and Democratic Society:
The Philosophy of Philip Kitcher, “Poznan Studies in the Philosophy of the
Sciences and the Humanities” Amsterdam: Rodopi, pp.
141-169.
●
(2009) “Thinking about Technology, but… in Ortega’s or in Heidegger’s Style?”, Argumentos de Razón Técnica, 12, pp. 99-123. ISSN: 1139-3327
●
(2006) “Why Does Laudan’s Confutation of Convergent
Realism Fail?”, Journal for General
Philosophy of Science, Vol. 37, nº 2, pp. 393-403.
Selected invited lectures:
● 2019:
“Transhumanismo: ¿Un ser humano mejorado?”, en Feria del Libro de Bogotá, FilBo, Bogotá (Colombia), 28 de abril de 2019.
● 2018:
“Origen evolutivo del conocimiento”, en el II Simposio de Filosofía Analítica:
Filosofía de las Ciencias Cognitivas, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales (Colombia),
20 de abril.
● 2018:
“Explicando con modelos falsos: una interpretación realista”, en I Jornadas
Novatores en Filosofía de la Ciencia y la Tecnología: “Enfoques Contemporáneos
del Realismo Científico”, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, 11 y 12 de
abril.
● 2016:
“La biología sintética como herramienta para el mejoramiento humano”, en el
Coloquio Internacional “Aproximaciones críticas a la biología sintética.
Perspectivas transdiciplinares”, UNAM (México), 10 de
noviembre.
● 2015:
“El imperativo de mejoramiento”, Jornadas Posthumanismo: El nuevo concepto de
ser humano en la era tecnocientífica. Universidad de
La Laguna (Tenerife), 5 de noviembre.
●
2013a: “Naturalismo: delimitación y defensa” (“Naturalism:
Delimitation and defense”),
en el Coloquio de Filosofía de la Ciencia. “La Filosofía desde la Ciencia”,
Centro de Estudios Filosóficos, Políticos y Sociales Vicente Lombardo Toledano,
México D.F., 5 de noviembre de 2013.
●
2013b: “Transhumanismo y biología sintética: la transformación biotecnológica
de la identidad humana”, (“Transhumanism and Synthetic Biology: The biotechological transformation of human identity”)
en Primer Coloquio Internacional e interdisciplinario: “Bio-artefactos:
historia, ontología, ética y axiología” Centro de Ciencias Genómicas e
Instituto de Biotecnología de la UNAM, Campus Cuernavaca (México), 7 de
noviembre de 2013.
● 2012: “Con la guía de Ortega: la
acción en el mundo tecnificado” (“With Ortega’s Guide: The Action in the
Technified World”), in III Coloquio de Filosofía de
la Tecnología: Artefactos y Cultura Material, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de
la UNAM, México D. F., 8 and 9 august.
● 2011a: “Una mirada a Ortega desde
la filosofía contemporánea” (“Taking a Look at Ortega
from the Contemporary Philosophy”), in the Congreso Internacional Ortega y Gasset. Nuevas
lecturas. Nuevas perspectivas. A Propósito de la nueva edición de sus Obras
Completas, Madrid, Universidad Complutense y Fundación Ortega-Marañón, 15 november.
● 2011b: “El origen evolutivo de la
racionalidad humana” (“The Evolutionary
Origin of Human Rationality”),
in the Seminario sobre Racionalidad (Programa de
Maestría y Doctorado en Filosofía de la Ciencia del Instituto de
Investigaciones Filosóficas de la UNAM), México D. F., 8 november
de 2011.
● 2011c: “Vida artificial y
concepto de vida” (“Artificial Life and the Notion of Life”),
in II Coloquio Internacional de Filosofía de la Tecnología: Bioartificialidad.
Naturaleza, Arte y Técnica, México D. F., 3 november.
●
2011d: “Is life a natural kind?”, en el “Workshop on
Natural Kinds”, Granada, 9 september.
●
2011e: “Animal thinking”, plenary lecture in the “Ninth International
Conference on New Directions in the Humanities”, Granada, 8 June.
● 2010a: “La filosofía de la
tecnología de Ortega como guía para la acción. Una comparación con Heidegger” (“Ortega’s philosophy of
technology as a guide to action. A comparison with Heidegger”), at the
“Simposio internacional: Ortega y Gasset y su Meditación de la técnica. A los
75 años de su publicación en La Nación de Buenos Aires”, Madrid, 4 November.
●
2010b: “Comment on Sober: the sex ratio problem and the explanatory role of
models in biology”, en Barcelona Conference on Causality and Explanation in
Physics, Biology and Economics, Barcelona, 19 February.
● 2009a: “Popper frente a
Darwin” (“Popper vs. Darwin”), Coloquio Complutense de Lógica, Lenguaje y
Ciencia, Departamento de Lógica y Filosofía de la Ciencia, Universidad
Complutense, Madrid, 2 February.
● 2009b: “¿Es la vida un género natural? Dificultades para
lograr una definición del concepto de vida” (“Is Life a Natural Kind? Some
Difficulties in order to Obtain a Definition of Life”), at the congress “La
idea de la evolución. 150 años después de Darwin”, Universidad de Salamanca,
Salamanca, 17 June.
● 2009c: “Can Animals Think? Some Reflections on
Concepts, Language and Mind”, at the International Symposium “Lamarck-Darwin
1809-2009. Doscientos años de
evolucionismo”, Xalapa, Veracruz (México), 1 October.
● 2008a: “La epistemología evolucionista y el debate sobre el
realismo” (“The Evolutionary
Epistemology and the debate
about realism”), course of the Universidad
Internacional Menéndez Pelayo “Darwin in memoriam. Las teorías de la evolución
hoy”, Valencia, 17 July.
● 2008b: Invited discussant at the
congress “What (Good) is Historical Epistemology”, Max Planck Institute for the
History of Science, Berlin, 24-26 July
● 2007a: “What is Technological Determinism and Why it Should Not be Accepted”, Real Colegio
Complutense, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
(USA), 15 March.
● 2007b: “A Comparison of Ortega’s and Heidegger’s
Philosophy of Technology”, Center for International Education, Salisbury
University, Salisbury, Maryland, (USA), 6 April.
● 2007c: “Ortega y Gasset and
Heidegger: Two Opposing Views of Technology”, Real Colegio
Complutense, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
(USA), 19 April.
Stays at foreign
universities:
●
April-June
2015: Academic Visitor at the Uehiro Centre for
Practical Ethics, Oxford University.
● February-April 2007:
Visiting scholar at the Department of Philosophy, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. (USA)
● May 2003: Visiting scholar
at the Department of Philosophy, University of Helsinki.
● May – July
1998: Visiting scholar at the Department of Philosophy, University of Helsinki.
1 January 1999 to 31 March 2000: Acting Dean of the
Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities, University of Málaga.
February 1997 to December 1999 and April 2000 to
December 2002: Vice-dean of Coordination of the Faculty of Philosophy and
Humanities, University of Málaga.
November 1984 to March 1991: Secretary of the
Department of Philosophy, University of Málaga.
1999–2003: Elected member of the
Senate of the University of Málaga.
1988–1991:
Member of the Governing Board of the Journal Philosophica Malacitana.
1991–1996: Member of the
Editorial Board of the Journal Philosophica Malacitana.
1996–present: Member of the
Editorial Board of the Journal Contrastes.
2005–present: Member of the
Editorial Board of the Journal Argumentos de Razón Técnica.
2013-present: Associated Editor of the journal Contrastes.
2015-2019: Editor of the journal Theoria.
2002: Co-organizer (with J. M. Atencia)
of the course “Tecnociencia y cultura a comienzos del siglo XXI” (Technoscience and Culture at the Beginning of XXI Century),
3-12 April, University of Málaga, Málaga
(Spain).
2005: Co-organizer (with
J. M. Atencia) of the course “Tecnociencia y cultura a comienzos del siglo XXI.
Un enfoque social de las biotecnologías y las tecnologías de la información” (Technoscience and Culture at the Beginning of XXI Century. A Social Approach to the Biotechnologies and the Technologies of
Information), 14-22 April, University of Málaga, Málaga (Spain).
2005: Co-organizer (with J. M. Atencia)
of the “José Ortega y Gasset Conference”, 21-26 November, University of Málaga, Málaga (Spain).
2006: Director of the summer course of the University
of Málaga “Julián Marías:
Una filosofía en el destierro”, 31 july
– 4 August, Vélez-Málaga (Spain).
2009:
Member of the Scientific Committee of the XXVª Jornadas
de Paleontología, organized by the Spanish Society of
Paleontology, Ronda (Spain), 23 – 26 September.
2010: Director of the summer course of the University
of Málaga “Hombres y animales:
¿Qué hemos aprendido de Darwin?” 12-16 July, Ronda
(Spain).
2012: Coordinator of the Organizing Committee of the I
Congreso de la Asociación Iberoamericana de Filosofía de la
Biología (AIFBI), Valencia, 28, 29 and 30 november.
Referee for several journals, among them Synthese, Journal of Medical Ethics, History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences,
Theoria, Metatheoria,
Journal for General Philosophy of Science, Scientia
et Fides, Ágora, Revista de
Filosofía, Comprendre.
Professional organisations:
(2019 - present) Member of the “Academia Malagueña de Ciencias” (Academy of Sciences of Málaga).
(1993 - present) Member of the “Sociedad de Lógica, Metodología y Filosofía de la Ciencia en España” (Society of Logic,
Methodology and Philosophy of Science in Spain).
(2009 - present) Member of the International Society for History, Philosophy, and
Social Studies of Biology (ISHPSSB).
(2009 - present) Member of the Sociedad Española de Biología Evolucionista (SESBE)
(Spanish Society for Evolutionary Biology).
(28/11/2012 - present) Founding
member of the Asociación Iberoamericana
de Filosofía de la Biología
(AIFIBI) and first elected president.
(2017 - present) Member of the European Philosophy of Science Association (EPSA).
Other activities:
Main Researcher in the Research Group in Cognitive
Sciences, belonging to the Andalusian Research Plan. Code
HUM264.