E134| Towards a Philosophical Science of Purposeful Transformation w/ Chemical Ecologist Tim Jackson & Tim Adalin

Exploring intersections of chemical ecology, evolution, and humanity's relationship with technology in the era of technicity. Welcoming chemical ecologist Timothy Jackson in dialogue with Tim Adalin, we explore the prospect for developing a "philosophical science of purposeful transformation."

• Shownotes

  The following shownotes are AI generated to give a rough sense of topics covered and to aid with search discovery.

  Keywords

  chemical ecology, technicity, evolution, Darwin, tool use, niche construction, constraint theory, philosophical science, transformation, symbiosis, toxinology, cultural evolution, transhumanism, artificial intelligence, complexity science, Jung, shamanism, improvisation, addiction, morphogenesis

  Chapters

  00:00 Intro

  01:30 What is chemical ecology?

  06:41 Life as technical and tool use

  13:00 The advent of technicity and evolution

  15:03 Darwin versus popular evolutionary understanding

  22:48 Participating in speciation and morphogenesis

  27:30 Humanity's technical capacity and transformation

  31:41 Transhumanism and philosophical science critique

  40:10 Mediation between conservation and adaptation

  45:08 Mutual transformation versus one-directional relationships

  51:34 Musical improvisation as constraint and enablement

  59:16 Risk-taking and trans-individual collective emergence

  1:03:17 Purity, impurity and interior-exterior dynamics

  1:13:57 Niche construction and inheritance patterns

  1:26:00 Wisdom begins with acknowledging ignorance

  1:37:22 Addiction as pathological attraction patterns

  Philosophers and Theorists mentioned:Thinkers and Works Referenced

  Primary Philosophers/Theorists:

  • Gilbert Simondon - Technicity, individuation, technical objects vs. traits

  • Charles Darwin - On the Origin of Species, variation vs. species essentialism

  • Carl Jung - Numinous, psychotherapy, archetypal psychology, individuation

  • Herbert Spencer - "Survival of the fittest" terminology

  • Alfred Russell Wallace - Co-discoverer of natural selection

  • Charles Sanders Peirce - Firstness, irreducible particularity

  • Friedrich Schelling - "Indivisible remainder" concept

  • Peter Kingsley - Catafalque, critique of inflation

  • Matt Segall - Philosopher

  • Cadell Last - Philosophy Portal

  Scientific/Academic References:

  • Jason Tuckwell - Deviation and technical capacity

  • Raymond Ruyer - Molecular vs. molar distinction

  • Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari - Molecular/molar framework

  • Thelonious Monk - "No wrong notes, only wrong resolutions"

  • Ornette Coleman - Free jazz improvisation

  Historical Figures:

  • Cicero - Early usage of "evolutio" (unfolding)

  • Aristotle - Species essences (via scholastic interpretation)

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• Timothy N. W. Jackson

  Dr. Timothy N. W. Jackson is a chemical ecologist and pharmacologist, and co-head of the Australian Venom Research Unit. He has taught extensively on evolutionary biology, toxinology, and pharmacology – including modules on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy – at the University of Melbourne, University of the Sunshine Coast, and Queensland University of Technology. His research explores the evolutionary and ecological dimensions of bioactive molecules such as toxins and pheromones, treating pharmacology as a branch of human chemical ecology. This approach focuses on how both humans and non-human organisms utilise chemical signals to alter behaviour in target organisms. Dr. Jackson’s work spans from molecular studies of venom components to global health efforts targeting snakebite envenoming, and extends into translational neuropharmacology and mental health frameworks. His philosophical engagement with the nature of function and evolutionary change has led him to challenge dominant scientific paradigms, advocating for alternative models that better capture the dynamic, processual character of nature.

  Connect with Tim @ https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=vOnot8oAAAAJ&hl=en

• Tim Adalin

  Tim is the founder of Voicecraft and a philosopher with a focus on the relation between participation and transformation. You can connect with Tim individually @ https://www.timadalin.xyz

  On X @ https://x.com/tim_adalin

  And on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-adalin/

• About Voicecraft

  Voicecraft conversations deepen how the world is known across themes of psyche, culture and nature.

  The Voicecraft Project is comprised of a media & events platform, academy, and participatory membership network.

• Intro Music - 'The Big Break' by Cantrips

  Listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qaj-stBL4W0

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