Rogers, Timothy M (2025) The Biological Cell as a Living Symbol of a Natural Kind: Bridging evolutionary process and material determinism through dynamical wholism. [Preprint]
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Abstract
This paper explores the foundational paradox between Newton’s classical mechanics and Darwin’s theory of evolution, focusing on their divergent conceptions of time—static determinism versus dynamic generation. Drawing on biosemiotics, a formal model of interacting biological cells is proposed that combines Newton’s formal determinism and Darwin’s agentic selection. In the model, individual cells are unified by genetic text into a community of mutual recognition through reciprocal signalling. The study introduces a relational ontology involving hypostatically mediated category differences, where genetic text serves as both a material index for the determination of particular individuals and a symbolic label for the communally enacted natural kind. By integrating the determination of lawful formation and the indetermination of communal resonance, the paper advances a novel framework, embedded in physical theory, for understanding biological formation, spatiotemporal continuity, and the semiotic logic of category theory.
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| Item Type: | Preprint | ||||||
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| Keywords: | Natural kinds; Relational ontology; Conceptual frameworks in biology; Biosemiotics; Emergence in evolutionary systems | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Biology > Evolutionary Theory Specific Sciences > Biology > Systematics Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics |
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| Depositing User: | Dr. Timothy Rogers | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 18 Dec 2025 02:09 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 18 Dec 2025 02:09 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 27546 | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Biology > Evolutionary Theory Specific Sciences > Biology > Systematics Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics |
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| Date: | 12 December 2025 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/27546 |
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