Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda

@alejandrofabregastejeda.com

27773 Followers 16882 Following

Philosopher & Historian of Biology 🇲🇽 • Postdoctoral Fellow @theramseylab.bsky.social (@clpskuleuven.bsky.social‬) • https://www.alejandrofabregastejeda.com • https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262052825/the-organism-environment-pairing/ • #philsci #HPS #philsky

Promotional image of the Direct to Open (D2O) initiative of MIT Press that allows books to be read open access.

Opening page of a 2026 European Journal for Philosophy of Science article titled “The pursuitworthiness of majority world psychology,” by Jane Suilin Lavelle.

Abstract
The recent pluralist turn in philosophy of science claims that we ought to support and maintain multiple epistemic frameworks for learning about phenomena. This position is especially clear in Massimi’s Perspectival Realism, which argues that it is only by having more than one perspective on a phenomenon that the potential for reliable knowledge about it emerges. This paper applies Perspectival Realism to the case of psychology—with a focus on developmental psychology—arguing first, that the discipline has pursued frameworks almost exclusively within a Minority World perspective, and second, that the lack of alternative perspectives precludes the field from knowing if its methods of knowledge production are reliable. To redress this problem, it advocates the pursuit of Majority World psychological frameworks, and points towards ways in which this could be achieved.

Screenshot of a webpage displaying endorsement quotes for the book "The Organism–Environment Pairing: A Historical and Philosophical Reappraisal" (MIT Press, 2026) by Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda.

"This long-overdue history and philosophy of the 'environment' concept illuminates how biology thinks about one of its most fundamental ideas. A rewarding, eye-opening read for historians, philosophers, and scientists alike."
--Tobias Uller, Professor of Evolutionary Biology, Lund University; coauthor of Evolution Evolving and Evolutionary Causation

"A formidable achievement, massive in scope, meticulously researched, densely argued, and timely. Fábregas-Tejeda's book is the definitive work on the history of thinking about the complex relation between organism and environment."
--Denis Walsh, Professor, University of Toronto; author of Organisms, Agency, and Evolution

"Fábregas-Tejeda's discerning analysis brings much-needed conceptual clarity to the enigmatic yet essential subject of biology--the organism-environment relationship. A lively, engaging book that will inform practicing biologists as well as philosophers and historians of science."
--Sonia E. Sultan, Alan M. Dachs Professor of Science, Wesleyan University; author of Organism and Environment

"A tour de force of integrated history and philosophy of biology. With impressive breadth and conceptual clarity, this outstanding monograph reshapes how we think about organisms, environments, and their entanglements."
--Daniel J. Nicholson, Assistant Professor, George Mason University; author of What Is Life? Revisited

Photograph of the book The Organism–Environment Pairing: A Historical and Philosophical Reappraisal (MIT Press, 2026) displayed on a small wooden easel. The green cover features multicolored title text and an image of a monarch butterfly resting on pink milkweed flowers, layered over a larger pale-green butterfly silhouette. The spine, visible at an angle, repeats the title and author’s name, Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda. Softly blurred purple-and-white flowers appear in the background.

Article header from the European Journal for Philosophy of Science (2026), labeled “Paper in Philosophy of Science in Practice.” The title, “Pursuitworthiness of breakthrough experiments: transforming emerging intuitions into established norms,” appears in bold above the author Szymon Miłkoś (with ORCID icon).

Promotional banner with a red-to-purple gradient background advertising a Barnes & Noble book sale. Large white text reads “25% off pre-order books,” with smaller text above noting it is an online exclusive for Premium & Rewards members. A discount code “PREORDER25” is displayed below, alongside a “Shop Now” button. A circular badge in the top right states “Ends 3/26,” and a yellow ribbon notes that premium members save an extra 10%.

Book cover with a green gradient background for "The Organism–Environment Pairing: A Historical and Philosophical Reappraisal" by Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda (MIT Press, 2026). The book series label “The Vienna Series in Theoretical Biology” appears at the top. The title is set in large, bold lettering using three colors: white (“The” and “Pairing”), warm yellow (“Organism–”), and bright green (“Environment”). The subtitle appears below in smaller white text, and the author’s name is printed at the bottom. In the lower right, a monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) rests on clusters of pink milkweed flowers. Behind it, a large pale-green butterfly silhouette fills the background; its outline follows the shape of a red lacewing butterfly (Cethosia biblis). The layered butterflies visually echo the book’s central idea of an organism–environment pairing.

Article header from the European Journal for Philosophy of Science (2026), showing the title “What makes big biology worth pursuing? New dimensions of scientific value,” by Parvathi Vijay and Ignazio Arrabito. A grey banner labels it “Paper in Philosophy of Science in Practice,” with DOI, submission dates, and a “Check for updates” icon on the right.

Header of an article in the European Journal for Philosophy of Science (2026, volume 16, article 19), categorized as “Paper in Philosophy of Science in Practice,” titled "Inductive risk meets engineering risk: Error management and pursuitworthiness in collider physics," authored by Marianne van Panhuys and Daria Jadrėškė, with DOI, submission and acceptance dates, and the journal’s standard layout visible.

Book cover with a green gradient background for "The Organism–Environment Pairing: A Historical and Philosophical Reappraisal" by Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda (MIT Press, 2026). The book series label “The Vienna Series in Theoretical Biology” appears at the top. The title is set in large, bold lettering using three colors: white (“The” and “Pairing”), warm yellow (“Organism–”), and bright green (“Environment”). The subtitle appears below in smaller white text, and the author’s name is printed at the bottom. In the lower right, a monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) rests on clusters of pink milkweed flowers. Behind it, a large pale-green butterfly silhouette fills the background; its outline follows the shape of a red lacewing butterfly (Cethosia biblis). The layered butterflies visually echo the book’s central idea of an organism–environment pairing.

Header of an article in the European Journal for Philosophy of Science (2026, volume 16, article 7, “Paper in General Philosophy of Science”) titled "Judging the worth of pursuing: assessing the dynamic responsivity of a project to experimental and model-building practices," authored by William Anthony Penn and Arica Bauer, shown in the journal’s standard publication layout with DOI and update icon.

Header and abstract page of an original research article in History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences (2026, volume 48, article 12) titled "Modeling versatility as the hallmark of model organisms," authored by Guido I. Prieto and Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda.

Abstract
In recent years, discussions on the epistemology of model organism-based research have emerged in the philosophy of science. A key topic of discussion is how the epistemic insights gained from model organisms differ from those gained through other experimental organisms used in laboratory and field research. Here, we argue that model organisms are epistemically special due to their nature as ontogenetically changeable, standardized, and evolved material model carriers. These characteristics afford six important kinds of modeling versatility that biologists marshal in their investigations: (i) synchronic target versatility; (ii) synchronic scope versatility; (iii) diachronic target versatility; (iv) diachronic scope versatility; (v) manipulation versatility; and (vi) discovery versatility. In presenting these dimensions of modeling versatility, we also clarify key notions such as ‘representational target,’ ‘representational scope,’ and ‘representational power’ as these apply to modeling practices that involve model organisms.

Promotional image announcing the publication of a paper in the European Journal for Philosophy of Science. The article, classified as a “Paper in General Philosophy of Science,” is titled The Pursuitworthiness of Experiments and is authored by Enno Fischer. The image also shows the journal name, publication details (2026, volume 16, issue 5), DOI information, the author’s name with ORCID icon, and the submission and acceptance dates.

Promotional poster for the XIV Workshop on Philosophy of Biology and Cognitive Sciences. The poster features a dark green background with stylized yellow and red floral illustrations around the edges. Large yellow text announces the workshop title. The event will take place 18–19 June at UNED, Edificio de Humanidades, Paseo de la Senda del Rey 7, Madrid. The keynote speakers listed are Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda (KU Leuven), Enara García (SDU), and José Antonio Pérez-Escobar (UNED). The poster highlights a Call for Abstracts (CfA) with an extended deadline of 1st February. Contact information is provided at xivpbcs@gmail.com

Screenshot of a webpage displaying endorsement quotes for the book "The Organism–Environment Pairing: A Historical and Philosophical Reappraisal" (MIT Press) by Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda.

"This long-overdue history and philosophy of the 'environment' concept illuminates how biology thinks about one of its most fundamental ideas. A rewarding, eye-opening read for historians, philosophers, and scientists alike."
--Tobias Uller, Professor of Evolutionary Biology, Lund University; coauthor of Evolution Evolving and Evolutionary Causation

"A formidable achievement, massive in scope, meticulously researched, densely argued, and timely. Fábregas-Tejeda's book is the definitive work on the history of thinking about the complex relation between organism and environment."
--Denis Walsh, Professor, University of Toronto; author of Organisms, Agency, and Evolution

"Fábregas-Tejeda's discerning analysis brings much-needed conceptual clarity to the enigmatic yet essential subject of biology--the organism-environment relationship. A lively, engaging book that will inform practicing biologists as well as philosophers and historians of science."
--Sonia E. Sultan, Alan M. Dachs Professor of Science, Wesleyan University; author of Organism and Environment

"A tour de force of integrated history and philosophy of biology. With impressive breadth and conceptual clarity, this outstanding monograph reshapes how we think about organisms, environments, and their entanglements."
--Daniel J. Nicholson, Assistant Professor, George Mason University; author of What Is Life? Revisited

Promotional image announcing the publication of a paper in the European Journal for Philosophy of Science. The article, classified under “Philosophy of the Biomedical Sciences,” is titled “When to recommend no experiment? Drug regulation and the institutional shaping of pursuitworthiness” and is authored by HyeJeong Han.

Promotional graphic for an online book sale by Barnes & Noble. Large text reads “Premium & Rewards Members Online Exclusive — 25% Off Upcoming Books with code PREORDER25.” A red circle notes “Includes eBooks & Audiobooks,” and a badge says “Premium Members Save an Extra 10%.” The background is a purple-to-red gradient with a burst effect. Along the bottom are book covers, including titles by George Saunders (Vigil), Ross Montgomery (The Murder at World’s End), Matt Dinniman (Operation Bounce House), Patrick Radden Keefe (London Falling), Michael Pollan (A World Appears), Maria Semple (Go Gentle), Jon Meacham (American Struggle), and others.

Poster for the XIV Workshop on Philosophy of Biology and Cognitive Sciences. The background is dark green with large yellow text and decorative abstract flower illustrations in red, yellow, and green at the corners. Dates ‘18–19 June’ appear at the top right, along with the venue: UNED, Edificio de Humanidades, Paseo de la Senda del Rey 7, Madrid. The keynote speakers are Enara García (SDU), Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda (KU Leuven), and José Antonio Pérez-Escobar (UNED). A bold yellow banner reads ‘Call for Abstracts,’ with a deadline of 15 January. At the bottom is a contact email: xivpbcs@gmail.com

Screenshot of the header of a journal article from the European Journal for Philosophy of Science. The article is labeled as a ‘Paper in Philosophy of Science in Practice’ and is titled "Funding big science: managing diversity, social responsibility, and limited resources." The author is Jamie Shaw, with an ORCID icon displayed.

Screenshot of the header of a journal article from the European Journal for Philosophy of Science (2025), article 15:71. The article is categorized under “Paper in the Philosophy of the Biomedical Sciences” and is titled “Sex as a biological variable and the pursuitworthiness of exploratory inquiry,” authored by Marina DiMarco, with an ORCID icon beside the name.

Screenshot of the article header from the European Journal for Philosophy of Science titled “The pursuitworthiness of experiments in neurolinguistics” by Nevia Dolcini, Bernard A. J. Jap, Chan Wa Kun and
Stephen Politzer-Ahles. The header indicates it is a paper in philosophy of science in practice. The DOI is https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-025-00691-z

Modified DEKI schema shown in two panels. (A) Diagram of the DEKI model using the Phillips–Newlyn machine as the carrier, where only the interpreted part of the machine is included within the model circle (M). (B) Similar diagram, but with a model organism (a rodent) as the carrier and a part of another organism (a human figure) as the target. In both panels, the circle labeled M represents the model, partially overlapping with a shaded carrier silhouette, indicating that only some features of the carrier (
X1I,…,XnI
X
1
I

,…,X
n
I

) are interpreted within the model. Arrows labeled D (denotation), E (exemplification), I (imputation/interpretation), and K (keying) connect variables across the schema, including
T1I,…,TkI
T
1
I

,…,T
k
I

(imputed features),
Z1K,…,ZlK
Z
1
K

,…,Z
l
K

(keyed-up features), and
Z1E,…,ZmE
Z
1
E

,…,Z
m
E

(exemplified features). The gray, non-overlapping portions of the carrier silhouettes represent unmodeled or non-interpreted features.

Screenshot of a journal article header from Synthese titled “Representing with model organisms: a refined DEKI account” by Guido I. Prieto and Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda. The article is marked as Original Research, published in 2025 (volume 206, article 209), with DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-025-05267-1

Screenshot of the article header from the European Journal for Philosophy of Science titled “Experiment and the pursuit of ugly models” by Martin King. The header indicates it is a paper in philosophy of the natural sciences. The DOI is https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-025-00692-y

Workshop program for September 26th at KU Leuven:

09:00 – Registration, coffee, and pastries.
09:30 – Welcome address by Gianmaria Dani, Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda, and Grant Ramsey.

Session 1: From Animal Behavior to Behavior in Other Kingdoms.
09:45 – Tobias Starzak (Ruhr University Bochum), Understanding Other Minds: Lessons from Animal Philosophy.
10:30 – Susana Colinas Fischer (University College London), Adapting Existing Behavioural Frameworks to the Study of New Organisms: Insights from C. elegans.
11:15 – Coffee break.

Session 2: Challenges in Cross-Species Behavioral Comparison.
11:45 – Nedah N. Nemati (Columbia University), Rethinking Behavioral Similarity in Comparative Neurobiology.
12:30 – Lunch.
14:00 – Linda Grohmann (University of Wuppertal), Behaviour, Cognition, and the Double Bind of Comparative Research.

Session 3: Investigating Plant Behavior.
14:45 – Silvia Guerra (University of Padova), Goal-Directed Behavior in Pea Plants.
15:30 – Coffee break.
16:00 – Gianmaria Dani (KU Leuven), Plant Associative Learning: Why Coincidence Detection Matters.
16:45 – Bengt Autzen (University College Cork), Plants, Risk Sensitivity and Optimal Choice.

17:30 – Free time.
19:00 – Dinner.

A group of sixteen participants stand in a row on a lawn in front of a modern building with large windows and wood paneling. They are attending the 43rd Altenberg Workshop in Theoretical Biology, titled “The Waddingtonian Landscape: Rediscovering Conrad Hal Waddington's Legacies in Biology and Beyond”, held at the Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research in Klosterneuburg, Austria.

Screenshot of a journal article titled "Two ontogenetic challenges to trait individuation" by Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda, published in Synthese (2025) 205:219. The abstract reads: "Trait individuation is an epistemically indispensable and heuristically fruitful practice in biological science. However, important ontological issues transcend an epistemology-only reading of what trait individuation entails (e.g., adaptation and homology), prompting scholars to advance models and frameworks to grapple with this problem. Here, I articulate two challenges that arise when advancing theories and frameworks to tackle trait individuation: the synchronicity and the diachronicity challenges. The synchronicity challenge involves specifying the traits an organism has at a given moment in ontogeny, whereas the diachronicity challenge involves understanding the causal processes that drive trait individuation in development and tracing these units across time. To delve deeper, I introduce extant functionalist and structuralist perspectives on trait individuation and evaluate how they address both challenges. Overcoming these challenges is necessary for such accounts to fulfill their theoretical promise of individuating the traits that organisms have in an ontologically sound way."

Poster for the Interdisciplinary Workshop “Behavior Across the Tree of Life: Theoretical and Methodological”, taking place on September 26–27, 2025 at the Institute of Philosophy, KU Leuven. The event is organized by Gianmaria Dani, Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda, and Grant Ramsey. The poster features circular images of diverse biological organisms (lichens, bacteria, ants, carnivorous plants) surrounding a central announcement.

Call for Applications:

Deadline: July 14th, 2025

Notification: July 18th, 2025

Open to philosophers and scientists interested in comparative behavioral biology and its theoretical and methodological foundations.

Abstracts of up to 500 words (excluding references), including affiliation and contact info, should be sent to:

gianmaria.dani@kuleuven.be

alejandro.fabregastejeda@kuleuven.be

Invited Speakers:

Kristin Aleklett (Lund University)

Silvia Guerra (University of Padua)

Tobias Starzak (Ruhr University Bochum)

Kirsty Y. Wan (University of Exeter)

A collage illustrating diverse biological behaviors across life forms: orange and yellow lichens growing on rock (symbiotic behavior), a close-up of bacteria (microbial interactions), leafcutter ants cooperating to carry a leaf (social insect behavior), a sundew plant trapping an insect (plant predation), and phylogenetic trees representing evolutionary relationships.

Call for papers announcement from the European Journal for Philosophy of Science, published by Springer. The special issue is titled 'The Pursuitworthiness of Experiments Across the Sciences,' with guest editors Enno Fischer (TU Dresden) and Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda (KU Leuven). The new deadline for submissions is 30 June 2025.

Promotional image with a yellow and white wavy background. Centered in the image is the title of the essay review: “‘Assessing Vickers’ Plea for Identifying Future-Proof Science’” in black, with the book title italicized. Below, it states: “Essay Review by María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz & Dubian Cañas” and “Journal for General Philosophy of Science (2025)” in smaller text. At the top left, there is a small image of the Journal for General Philosophy of Science cover (yellow and white with black text), and at the top right, there is the cover of Peter Vickers' book 'Identifying Future-Proof Science,' featuring a dark blue background and a yellow-green image of immune cells.

Promotional banner for the essay review "Infinite Practices, One Mathematics: Challenging Mathematical Pluralism" by Melisa Vivanco, published in the Journal for General Philosophy of Science (JGPS).

Screenshot showing the title and publication details of the article 'On the Prospects of Basal Cognition Research Becoming Fully Evolutionary: Promising Avenues and Cautionary Notes' by Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda and Matthew Sims, published in the journal 'History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences.'

Promotional image announcing the call for papers for the topical collection "The Pursuitworthiness of Experiments Across the Sciences" to be published in the European Journal for Philosophy of Science (Guest Editors: Enno Fischer and Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda). The call for papers runs from November 1, 2024 to April 20, 2025.

Screenshot of the cover of the article "Driftability and niche construction" by Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda and Grant Ramsey (freshly published in the journal Synthese).

Promotional poster of the Ettore Majorana International School "Recentering Neuroscience on Behavior: A Brain-Body-Environment Integrated Approach."

Screenshot of the incipit of Robert Nozick's 'Philosophical Explanations' (1981): "I too, seek an unreadable book: urgent thoughts to grapple with in agitation and excitement, revelations to be transformed by or to transform, a book incapable of being read straight through, a book, even, to bring reading to stop."

Image with the title and article information of "Research environments vis-à-vis biological environments: ontological parallels, epistemic parallax, and metaphilosophical parallelization" by Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda, published in the European Journal for Philosophy of Science.

Photograph of a hardcopy of the book 'The Riddle of Organismal Agency: New Historical and Philosophical Reflections,' held in one of the editors' hands in front of the Institute of Philosophy, KU Leuven.

Promotional image announcing the call for papers for the topical collection "The Pursuitworthiness of Experiments Across the Sciences" to be published in the European Journal for Philosophy of Science (Guest Editors: Enno Fischer and Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda). The call for papers runs from November 1, 2024 to April 20, 2025.

Promotional image announcing the publication of a new book review in the Journal for General Philosophy of Science. This time Cory Wright reviews James Nguyen and Roman Frigg's 'Scientific Representation' (Cambridge University Press).

Picture with the discount code (AFLY02) for the collective book "The Riddle of Organismal Agency: New Historical and Philosophical Reflections"

Cover of the book "The Riddle of Organismal Agency: New Historical and Philosophical Reflections" edited by Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda, Jan Baedke, Guido I. Prieto, and Gregory Radick.

Photograph of Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda inside an elevator before the start of the satellite symposium "Too complex to understand? Bridging neuroscience and philosophy to build new tools to study the brain"

Poster for the talk "Re-Appraising the Organism-Environment Relationship in Biology" by Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda, which happened on April 23, 2024.

Poster of the Ettore Majorana International School "Recentering neuroscience on behavior: a brain-body-environment integrated approach" in Erice, Sicily (scheduled for 9-14 November 2024).

Photograph depicting philosopher of science Sylvia Wenmackers and writer Helen Macdonald sitting in front of a large screen projecting the title of the event ("Feest van de Filosofie") and the cover of Macdonald's latest novel with Sin Blaché, "Prophet."