My papers

You can also find my work on PhilPeople and GoogleScholar. All papers are linked to below - if you're struggling to get hold of anything please mail me and i'll be happy to help.

• On biological individuality

Readers new to this topic should start with this fairly accessible paper which gives an overview of the problem. 2010 ‘The problem of biological individuality’ Biological Theory 5(4):312-25.

Follow up with these papers that set out my answer 

2013 ‘The multiple realizability of Biological Individuals’ Journal of Philosophy CX(8): 413-435.

2016 ‘A levels-of-selection approach to evolutionary individuality’ Biology and Philosophy 31(6): 893-911.

2025: with Will Morgan, 'A metaphysical paradox of organismal identity' in The Paradox of the Organism, Agren & Patten (eds), Harvard University Press.

Or read about solutions in particular domains, such as plants 2012 ‘Plant individuality: A solution to the demographer’s dilemma’ Biology and Philosophy 27(3): 321-61. 

2011 ‘Plant individuality and multilevel selection theory’ in The Major Transitions Revisited, Sterelny & Calcott (eds) MIT Press. read it

microbial colonies 2016 ‘Levels of selection in biofilms: Multispecies biofilms are not evolutionary individuals’ Biology and Philosophy 31(2): 191-212.

2015 Review of Maureen O'Malley's 'Philosophy of Microbiology' for Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

2016  With Mitri and Foster ‘Resource limitation drives spatial organization in microbial groups’ The ISME Journal 10(6): 1471-82.

human persons 2020 'The Post-Human Body: How human do you think you are?' The Philosopher. read it a public engagement piece

and evolutionary transitions 2014 ‘Origins of Evolutionary Transitions’ Journal of Biosciences 39(2): 303-17.

2016 Review of 'Evolutionary transitions to multicellular life' for the Quarterly Review of Biology read it

• On Evolutionary objects more generally

2020 ‘Is Evolution fundamental when it comes to defining biological ontology? Yes’ Current Controversies in Philosophy of Science, Dasgupta & Weslake (eds), Routledge. read it

2017 ‘Adaptation, multilevel selection and organismality: A clash of perspectives’ Routledge Handbook of Evolution and Philosophy, Joyce (ed) Routledge, 35-48. read it

2013 With Samir Okasha ‘Species and Organisms: What are the problems?’ in From Groups to Individuals, Huneman & Bouchard (eds) MIT Press. read it

2015 Review essay of John Dupre's 'Processes of Life' for the British Journal for the Philosophy of Science

• On human evolution and cultural selection theory

2017  With Celia Heyes ‘The swashbuckling anthropologist: Henrich on The Secret of Our Success’ Biology and Philosophy 32(2): 289-305. review essay

With bonus feminism, philosophy of motherhood and Tracy Chapman references thrown in, the following is one of my favourite papers that I've ever written, even if hardly anyone ever reads or cites it, i'm really proud of it!

2019:  ‘The Space Between’ Analyse & Kritik 41, no(2): 239-258. read it 

2015: 'The Evolution of Cooperation' The Philosphers' Magazine read it a public engagement piece

• On objects in ecology

2017  With Steen & Barrett, ‘Conceptualizing communities as natural entities’ Biology and Philosophy 32(6): 1019-1034.

• This early one (my undergraduate dissertation!) discusses evolutionary game theory, Peter Singer, and political philosophy

2006 ‘Anarchy, Socialism and a Darwinian Left’ in Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science C 37(1): 136-150.