Abstract for Henrik Steffens conference in Stavanger September 2023:

Today I have submitted the abstract below to the organizers of a conference on the work of Henrik Steffens that is to be held at Museum of Archaeology, organized by University of Stavanger on September 8-9th, in relation to the 250 year anniversary of his birth. I am an invited speaker.

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Title: Reconstructing the nature conceptions of the industrial-age Anthropocene

By Morten Tønnessen

In earlier work, I have addressed “Steffens’ ideas about organic meteorology: From the Totalorganismus to Planetary Health?” (forthcoming chapter, 2023). Here, I noted that discussion of humans´ place in nature has received renewed attention in the two last decades following the rise of the Anthropocene discourse, where the “Anthropocene” designates the current geological era characterized by environmental changes induced by human agency, and observed that this new context for theorizing on humans´ place in nature potentially reactualizes Steffens´ work. In this presentation, I will treat relations between Steffens´ work and the contemporary Anthropocene discourse more in-depth. Particularly, I will ask in how far Steffens´ work can be informative with regard to understanding how humans understood their place in nature around the time when many claim the Anthropocene actually started, in the wake of the industrial revolution following the invention of the steam engine in 1786.

Talk on biosemiotic perspective on human lifeworld given for Norwegian school of sport sciences

Today I have given an invited online talk for the philosophy group at Norwegian school of sport sciences (Norges idrettshøyskole), titled "Biosemiotikkens perspektiv på menneskets livsverden" (A biosemiotic perspective on the human lifeworld).

Blurb for workshop presentation: Individuality and subjectivity in animals in light of Umwelt temporality

I have just composed the blurb below for my invited presentation at a workshop to be held in May.

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Individuality and subjectivity in animals in light of Umwelt temporality  

In a biosemiotic understanding, all animals are endowed with an Umwelt as described by the German-Baltic biologist Jakob von Uexküll (1864–1944) in his classical Umwelt theory, which was developed in the period 1909–1940. In my work I have focused on developing perspectives on Umwelt temporality, starting with a notion of “Umwelt transition” (i.e., environmental change as seen from an Umwelt perspective). While some Umwelt transitions are regular (e.g. developmental), others represent historical events. Another central term in my work is “Umwelt trajectory”, representing the path through time taken by a living being as described by way of its changing relations to significant others. These notions may be applied in historical studies as well as futures studies. This provides us with a theoretical framework and methodology for studying animals as agents endowed with individual semiotic agency. 

To present at workshop on the historicity of animals in May

I have agreed to present at a digital workshop titled "Animal (Pre-)History, Agency and Legacy" which is to be held "at" University of Bielefeld, Germany, May 10-12th. There might be a physical follow-up later on in the autumn.

Abstract for Steffens conference: "Steffens´ ideas about organic meteorology: From the Totalorganismus to planetary health?"

I have today composed the abstract below for my invited lecture at a conference about Henrik Steffens which is (hopefully) to be held at University of Copenhagen October 1-2nd, "“…just as alluring as instructive…” – Henrik Steffens’ Concept of Nature in Science, Humanities and Arts around 1800".

Steffens´ ideas about organic meteorology: From the Totalorganismus to planetary health?  

Morten Tønnessen Professor of philosophy, Department of social studies, University of Stavanger  

As Linda Richter (2019) has recently investigated, in a report to the Prussian state in 1811, Henrik Steffens made the argument that the atmosphere is a living being, and that adopting this perspective could lead to advances in medicine and our understanding of diseases in humans and animals. The context of the commissioned report was the idea – which was widely held at the time – that many diseases were caused or affected by the climate or weather. In another recent article based on her Ph.D., Richter (2020) distinguishes between Semiotics, Physics, and Organics of the weather as three distinct forms of meteorological knowledge in the period 1750–1850 in German-speaking countries, and presents Steffens as a prominent representative of the Organics perspective.  

I will approach Richter´s two articles and Steffens 1811 report from four different angles. First, I will look into in what ways Steffens´ proposal for an organic perspective on meteorology highlights key aspects of his nature view more broadly. This will include reflecting on possible interpretations of his notion of a “grand organism” (Totalorganismus) in the context of ecology. Second, I will discuss how Steffens´ perspective on organic meteorology fares in comparison with the Gaia theory of James Lovelock. Third, I will discuss whether Steffens´ idea that human and animal health and the weather mirror each other has any resemblance with how we think about human ecology and anthropogenic climate change today. Lastly, I will discuss how Steffens´ perspective connects with contemporary (w)holistic notions such as `One health´, `One Welfare´, and `Planetary health´.

Two invited plenary presentations given at zoo conference

Today I have given two talks at the conference of the Swedish zoo association (Svenska Djurparksföreningen), "Fremtidens dyreparker" (The zoos of the future). My talks were titled "Dyreparker i fremtiden - Om å møte samfunnets holdninger og forventninger" (Zoos in the future - about meeting society´s attitudes and expectations) and "Gjestemøter - snakker vi samme språk?" (guest meetings - do we speak the same language?). Some 40 people attended. My first lecture lasted for 70 minutes including questions, the second one 25 minutes. The conference takes place at Bjørneparken i Flå. This were invited plenary presentations.

Terra conference attended at UiT; paper on biosemiotic relationality presented

Yesterday (half day - as I arrived from Germany mid-day) and today I have been attending the (small) conference "Terra: Complex relations and dependencies on the Earth", held at University of Tromsø as the second conference in the series "New Frontiers in environmental philosophy" and arranged by the UiT environmental philosophy research group. Today I presented my invited paper "Implications of the relational nature of living beings for agency, autonomy and moral status", with some 15 people attending.

Terra invited presentation in Tromsø scheduled for June 7th

On June 67th and 7th I will attend the conference "Terra: Complex relations and dependencies on the Earth", in the New Frontiers in Environmental Philosophy" conference series held at University of Tromsø. On Friday June 7th at 13.00-14.00 I will present my invited presentation "Implications of the Relational Nature of Living Beings for Agency, Autonomy and Moral Status".

Abstract for UiT Terra conference: "What implications does the relational nature of living beings have with regard to their agency, autonomy and moral status – and our world view?"

Today I have composed the abstract below, for an invited talk at the conference "Terra", to be arranged at University of Tromsø June 6-7th.

«What implications does the relational nature of living beings have with regard to their agency, autonomy and moral status – and our world view?»

Morten Tønnessen

Professor of philosophy at University of Stavanger´s Department of social studies

Relationality – the ways in which organisms are involved in relations to other organisms – is a crucial aspect of ecology, and biology at large. In biosemiotics, the semiotic study of biology, biosemioticrelations are understood as relations that involve methodical (regular or recurring) sign exchange. Organisms that are connected by such relations are biosemiosically linked, and have a partly overlapping or complementary experience of the world. By mapping and describing the biosemiotic relations a specific organism engages in, and thus what it relates to as carrying meaning for it, we by and largely describe what being that organism amounts to. Biosemiotic relationality can furthermore help us understand how the individual and ecological level of biological study are interconnected. 

   Building on biosemiotics, Umwelt theory (first developed by Jakob von Uexküll) and deep ecology, I will explore implications of the relational nature of living beings for agency, autonomy, moral status and our world view.

   Agency: In biosemiotics, agency can be understood as semioticagency, which is the capacity of relating to signs. Such agency always involves a degree of subjectivity. All living beings relate to signs. While proper subjects have unified, cohesive experience of their surroundings, quasi-subjects such as plants, fungi and animals with decentralized bodies have semiotic experience but one that is not cohesive or integrated. Their respective agency reflects this.

   Autonomy: By being relational creatures we all depend on others – and yet all living beings have autonomy in the sense that their actions are based on their species-specific semiotic agency. Freedom is related to how what we perceive as meaningful can be interpreted, and what alternative actions we can take in response to what we perceive.

   Moral status: The crucial importance of relations is emphasized in biosemiotic ethics (as developed by Tønnessen and Jonathan Beever). Under current ecological circumstances, many biosemiotic relations are bended or broken by extreme breeding, automated machine-handling, homogenous social environments, industrial-style indoor environments (in animal husbandry), and depleted wildlife. What are the moral limits for such bending of significant biosemiotic relations, in terms of environmental sustainability and individual welfare? Biosemiotic ethics suggests that respecting autonomy and enabling autonomous choices is essential.

   World view: We need to develop an empirically based understanding of the Anthropocene from an animal and organismic (individual level) perspective. Through our affiliated global species such as livestock and pets, humankind partakes in human–animal relations that largely determine resource use and conditions for domesticated and wild animals alike. Improving our scientific understanding of human–animal and other relations is crucial for understanding the world we live in, and the current and future state of the environment.

Acknowledgement: Morten Tønnessen is a member of two program areas for research at University of Stavanger, namely “Philosophy and subjectivity” and “The Greenhouse: An environmental humanities initiative at University of Stavanger”.

Invited presentation to be given at Terra conference in Tromsø

I have been invited by the Environmental Philosophy Research group at University of Tromsø to speak at the conference "Terra" which will be held at University of Tromsø on June 6-7th. The work title for my presentation is "What implications do the relational nature of living beings have with regard to their agency, autonomy and moral status - and our world view?"