Guest Speaker: "Patterns All The Way Up: Prolegomena to a Future Naturalised Metaphysics"

James Ladyman (University of Bristol)

Friday, December 5th, 2025 (10:10 AM–12:00 PM) | English (022), Room 0311

Abstract:

This talk is based on the paper of the same name soon to appear in a volume dedicated to Dan Dennett’s idea of real patterns. The paper explains some positive and negative heuristics of the Game of Life examples of real patterns, and then explains the idea of modal structure, triangulation and scale-relativity, and argues for a number of lessons from current science about the right form of ontic structural realism.

 

Bio: 

Ladyman is interested in most areas of philosophy, but his work is primarily in general philosophy of science, philosophy of physics, history and philosophy of chemistry, philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of computation and artificial intelligence, and the relationship between biology and physics. Ladyman's best-known work is on structural realism and on complex systems.  He is also interested in the impact agenda and science policy, and in understanding the epistemological and broader implications of AI and big data technologies for science and society.