{"id":"https://openalex.org/W2907485162","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1353/pbm.2018.0059","title":"Reductionism, Organicism, and Causality in the Biomedical Sciences: A Critique","display_name":"Reductionism, Organicism, and Causality in the Biomedical Sciences: A Critique","publication_year":2018,"publication_date":"2018-01-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W2907485162","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1353/pbm.2018.0059","mag":"2907485162","pmid":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30613032"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1353/pbm.2018.0059","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1353/pbm.2018.0059","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1353/pbm.2018.0059","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S28937869","display_name":"Perspectives in biology and medicine","issn_l":"0031-5982","issn":["0031-5982","1529-8795"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["anvur-scientific","cwts-core","dongbi-c","jufo-1","medline","norway-1","poland-40","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310315678","host_organization_name":"Johns Hopkins University Press","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310315678","https://openalex.org/P4310316510"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Johns Hopkins University Press","Johns Hopkins University"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Perspectives in Biology and Medicine","raw_type":"journal-article"},"volume":null,"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref","pubmed"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5012489838","display_name":"Ana Maria Soto","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9843-1903","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9843-1903","https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6807-9144","https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0774-3742","https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9134-7936"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I121934306","display_name":"Tufts University","ror":"https://ror.org/05wvpxv85","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I121934306"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I29607241","display_name":"\u00c9cole Normale Sup\u00e9rieure - PSL","ror":"https://ror.org/05a0dhs15","country_code":"FR","type":"other","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I2746051580","https://openalex.org/I29607241"]}],"countries":["FR","US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Ana M. Soto","raw_affiliation_strings":["Centre Cavaill\u00e8s (ENS\r\n29, rue d'Ulm\r\n75005 Paris - France)","Tufts University School of Medicine [Boston] (Boston, Massachusetts 02111 - \u00c9tats-Unis)"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Centre Cavaill\u00e8s (ENS\r\n29, rue d'Ulm\r\n75005 Paris - France)","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I29607241"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Tufts University School of Medicine [Boston] (Boston, Massachusetts 02111 - \u00c9tats-Unis)","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I121934306"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5027267648","display_name":"Carlos Sonnenschein","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3475-6423","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3475-6423"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I121934306","display_name":"Tufts University","ror":"https://ror.org/05wvpxv85","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I121934306"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I29607241","display_name":"\u00c9cole Normale Sup\u00e9rieure - PSL","ror":"https://ror.org/05a0dhs15","country_code":"FR","type":"other","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I2746051580","https://openalex.org/I29607241"]}],"countries":["FR","US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Carlos Sonnenschein","raw_affiliation_strings":["Centre Cavaill\u00e8s (ENS\r\n29, rue d'Ulm\r\n75005 Paris - France)","Tufts University School of Medicine [Boston] (Boston, Massachusetts 02111 - \u00c9tats-Unis)"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Centre Cavaill\u00e8s (ENS\r\n29, rue d'Ulm\r\n75005 Paris - France)","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I29607241"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Tufts University School of Medicine [Boston] (Boston, Massachusetts 02111 - \u00c9tats-Unis)","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I121934306"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":2,"institutions_distinct_count":2,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":19.3771,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":26,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.99108551,"is_in_top_1_percent":true,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":93,"max":99},"biblio":{"volume":"61","issue":"4","first_page":"489","last_page":"502"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10778","display_name":"Philosophy and History of Science","score":1.0,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1207","display_name":"History and Philosophy of Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10778","display_name":"Philosophy and History of Science","score":1.0,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1207","display_name":"History and Philosophy of Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T14511","display_name":"Medicine, History, and Philosophy","score":9.999999747378752e-05,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2738","display_name":"Psychiatry and Mental health"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10258","display_name":"Philosophy and Theoretical Science","score":0.0,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3205","display_name":"Experimental and Cognitive Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/reductionism","display_name":"reductionism","score":0.9829999804496765},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/organicism","display_name":"organicism","score":0.9810000061988831},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/causality","display_name":"causality","score":0.746999979019165},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/physicalism","display_name":"physicalism","score":0.7770000100135803},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/emergence","display_name":"emergence","score":0.8299999833106995},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/levels-of-biological-organization","display_name":"levels of biological organization","score":0.800000011920929},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/agency","display_name":"agency","score":0.47200000286102295},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/normativity","display_name":"normativity","score":0.9789999723434448},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/philosophy-of-biology","display_name":"philosophy of biology","score":0.7789999842643738}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C70721018","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123244","display_name":"Organicism","level":2,"score":0.9582206010818481},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C173366509","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q206829","display_name":"Reductionism","level":2,"score":0.9424394369125366},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C113220239","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q269114","display_name":"Physicalism","level":3,"score":0.7127935886383057},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C111472728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9471","display_name":"Epistemology","level":1,"score":0.6911076307296753},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C166151441","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4923601","display_name":"Causation","level":2,"score":0.6641066670417786},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C108170787","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3951828","display_name":"Agency (philosophy)","level":2,"score":0.5569580793380737},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C64357122","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1149766","display_name":"Causality (physics)","level":2,"score":0.4515126049518585},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777617010","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18957","display_name":"Mainstream","level":2,"score":0.43112802505493164},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144024400","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21201","display_name":"Sociology","level":0,"score":0.3835006058216095},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C188147891","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q147638","display_name":"Cognitive science","level":1,"score":0.3622134327888489},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C138885662","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5891","display_name":"Philosophy","level":0,"score":0.25384366512298584},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.23775872588157654},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C182744844","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q35277","display_name":"Metaphysics","level":2,"score":0.11660885810852051},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C121332964","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q413","display_name":"Physics","level":0,"score":0.09524837136268616},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C27206212","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q34178","display_name":"Theology","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C62520636","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q944","display_name":"Quantum mechanics","level":1,"score":0.0}],"mesh":[{"descriptor_ui":"D000818","descriptor_name":"Animals","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D001695","descriptor_name":"Biology","qualifier_ui":"Q000266","qualifier_name":"history","is_major_topic":true},{"descriptor_ui":"D006801","descriptor_name":"Humans","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D007254","descriptor_name":"Information Science","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D010684","descriptor_name":"Philosophy","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D035843","descriptor_name":"Biomedical Research","qualifier_ui":"Q000379","qualifier_name":"methods","is_major_topic":true},{"descriptor_ui":"D047108","descriptor_name":"Embryonic Development","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D049671","descriptor_name":"History, 18th Century","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D049672","descriptor_name":"History, 19th Century","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false}],"locations_count":4,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1353/pbm.2018.0059","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1353/pbm.2018.0059","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1353/pbm.2018.0059","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S28937869","display_name":"Perspectives in biology and medicine","issn_l":"0031-5982","issn":["0031-5982","1529-8795"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["anvur-scientific","cwts-core","dongbi-c","jufo-1","medline","norway-1","poland-40","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310315678","host_organization_name":"Johns Hopkins University Press","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310315678","https://openalex.org/P4310316510"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Johns Hopkins University Press","Johns Hopkins University"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Perspectives in Biology and Medicine","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmid:30613032","doi":null,"is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30613032","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306525036","display_name":"PubMed","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I1299303238","host_organization_name":"National Institutes of Health","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1299303238"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Perspectives in biology and medicine","raw_type":"Historical Article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:muse.jhu.edu:/article/713157","doi":null,"is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://muse.jhu.edu/article/713157","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4377196299","display_name":"Project Muse (Johns Hopkins University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I145311948","host_organization_name":"Johns Hopkins University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I145311948"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"","raw_type":"text"},{"id":"pmh:oai:HAL:hal-03566620v1","doi":null,"is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://ens.hal.science/hal-03566620","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306402512","display_name":"HAL","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I4405252976","host_organization_name":"Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4405252976"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 2018, 61 (4), pp.489-502. ⟨10.1353/pbm.2018.0059⟩","raw_type":"info:eu-repo/semantics/article"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[],"sustainable_development_goals_aurora":[],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337348","display_name":"National Human Genome Research Institute","ror":"https://ror.org/00baak391"}],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":26,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W143373625","https://openalex.org/W169337374","https://openalex.org/W582187624","https://openalex.org/W605068603","https://openalex.org/W1510936538","https://openalex.org/W1548554945","https://openalex.org/W1571255846","https://openalex.org/W1967161129","https://openalex.org/W1983271173","https://openalex.org/W2013138671","https://openalex.org/W2032332194","https://openalex.org/W2053460598","https://openalex.org/W2065360142","https://openalex.org/W2076395840","https://openalex.org/W2081893803","https://openalex.org/W2085324606","https://openalex.org/W2119859848","https://openalex.org/W2126160338","https://openalex.org/W2168909179","https://openalex.org/W2469814230","https://openalex.org/W2472734843","https://openalex.org/W2504434300","https://openalex.org/W2558510121","https://openalex.org/W2782403578","https://openalex.org/W2901401223","https://openalex.org/W4220895224"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W6989393929","https://openalex.org/W4288083908","https://openalex.org/W6884863507","https://openalex.org/W1810250213","https://openalex.org/W2027745902","https://openalex.org/W196104848","https://openalex.org/W7099991235","https://openalex.org/W4229988281","https://openalex.org/W2002145011","https://openalex.org/W1940974336"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Biology":[0],"is":[1,115],"undergoing":[2],"a":[3,119],"crisis":[4,70,190],"whereby":[5],"technical":[6],"innovations":[7],"designed":[8],"to":[9,47,106,186],"overcome":[10,26],"the":[11,22,56,64,68,73,82,90,142,168,188,192],"difficulties":[12],"encountered":[13],"in":[14,174,191],"explaining":[15],"complex":[16],"biological":[17,60,79,137,176],"phenomena":[18],"have":[19,77],"not":[20,123],"delivered":[21],"expected":[23],"results.":[24],"To":[25],"this":[27],"problem,":[28],"mainstream":[29],"biomedical":[30,193],"researchers":[31],"favor":[32,183],"adopting":[33,184],"new":[34],"technological":[35],"wonders":[36],"without":[37],"considering":[38],"that":[39,76,121,136],"what":[40,145,149],"hinders":[41],"their":[42,48,87],"research":[43],"could":[44],"be":[45],"due":[46],"philosophical":[49,74],"stance,":[50],"theoretical":[51],"frame,":[52],"or":[53],"looking":[54],"into":[55,89],"wrong":[57],"level":[58],"of":[59,170],"organization.":[61],"We":[62,99],"address":[63],"conceptual":[65,91],"problems":[66],"underlying":[67],"scientific":[69],"by":[71,129,141],"examining":[72],"stances":[75,104],"illuminated":[78],"thought":[80],"for":[81,125,132],"last":[83],"200":[84],"years":[85],"and":[86,97,134,148,157,164,172],"evolution":[88],"frames":[92],"now":[93],"known":[94],"as":[95],"reductionism":[96],"organicism.":[98],"also":[100],"analyze":[101],"how":[102],"these":[103,180],"seek":[105],"establish":[107],"causality.":[108],"The":[109],"reductionist":[110],"fixation":[111],"on":[112,117,179],"bottom-up":[113],"causation":[114],"based":[116],"physicalism,":[118],"stance":[120],"does":[122],"allow":[124],"emergent":[126],"phenomena.":[127,177],"Organicism,":[128],"contrast,":[130],"allows":[131],"emergence":[133],"asserts":[135],"entities":[138],"are":[139,147],"defined":[140],"relation":[143],"between":[144],"they":[146,150,153],"do;":[151],"thus,":[152],"generate":[154],"novel":[155],"qualities":[156],"structures.":[158],"Also,":[159],"only":[160],"organisms":[161],"experience":[162],"illness":[163],"health.":[165],"Organicism":[166],"recognizes":[167],"role":[169],"agency":[171],"normativity":[173],"determining":[175],"Based":[178],"premises,":[181],"we":[182],"organicism":[185],"resolve":[187],"current":[189],"sciences.":[194]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":2},{"year":2023,"cited_by_count":5},{"year":2022,"cited_by_count":2},{"year":2021,"cited_by_count":5},{"year":2020,"cited_by_count":9},{"year":2019,"cited_by_count":2}],"updated_date":"2026-10-31T12:09:11.096373","created_date":"2019-01-11T00:00:00"}