Save the dates !!
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Posts by Mathilde Tahar
Why the cat wags her tail Here's a puzzle: how could evolution favour such a costly, frivolous and fun activity as animal play? by Mathilde Tahar-Malaussena
A year ago !!!
« I am very happy to share this piece, exploring the link between inventiveness and play in our fellow nonhuman animals. It was written with care and a sincere desire to convey what science and philosophy can teach us about this fascinating topic. »
aeon.co/essays/how-e...
1 week ago
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Seminar Agency between Biology and Philosophy 2025/2026 Here, you will find the 2025-2026 programme, and general information about our seminar. The introductory post can be found here. Next session 8th of April, 4 to 5 UK time Session led by Denis Walsh Topic: Ecological Agency: A metaphysics for Dialectical Biology Join Zoom Meeting: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/94845332305 Meeting ID: 948 4533 2305
Hello everyone !
Our Agency Between Biology and Philosophy seminar is coming back ! I am very happy (and honoured) to say that Denis Walsh will be leading this session, on Ecological Agency.
=> Zoom
=> 8 April from 4 to 5 PM, UK time
=> how to join? Here:
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
2 weeks ago
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The next session of our transdisciplinary (biology-philosophy) seminar on Agency will take place this Wednesday on Zoom !
Hugh Desmond will talk about agency and cognitive capacities!
More info on how to join us here: www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
3 weeks ago
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The next session of our transdisciplinary (biology-philosophy) seminar on Agency will take place next Wednesday. Marek Ć pinka will talk about play in nonhuman animals,
and I expect it to be super cool ! đ
More info here :
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
2 months ago
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Le temps du vivant; avec un texte dâHenri Bergson
Le vivant. Les espĂšces Ă©voluent; l'organisme vieillit; nous parlons d'histoire naturelle comme de mĂ©moire individuelle pour rendre compte de l'imprĂ©visibilitĂ© des formes biologiques. Mais que signifie, pour le vivant, de durer ? La diffĂ©rence de l'inerte et du vivant se joue aussi et mĂȘme surtout dans la distinction des modes de temporalisation. Le temps en biologie a en effet un sens qu'il n'a pas en physique : il est synonyme d'inventivitĂ©. Durer, pour les espĂšces comme pour les individus, c'est en effet se transformer de façon singuliĂšre, dans des situations toujours uniques. Si la thĂ©orie de l'Ă©volution a mis au premier plan la dimension historique du vivant et l'imprĂ©visibilitĂ© de ses trajectoires, les consĂ©quences pour la science qui l'Ă©tudie, dans ses objets comme dans ses mĂ©thodes, doivent encore ĂȘtre Ă©valuĂ©es. L'enjeu n'est pas seulement thĂ©orique. Parce que la crĂ©ativitĂ© du temps biologique passe par la diversitĂ© des rythmes propres Ă chaque organisme, ce sont Ă©galement nos pratiques et nos relations avec les autres vivants qu'il convient de repenser.
à paraßtre cette année chez Vrin !
Le temps du vivant, discussion de Bergson Ă lâaune de lâhistoire de la biologie et des dĂ©couvertes contemporaines
2 months ago
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Tomorrow is the first session of the 2026 edition of our online seminar on animal agency!
This session will be led by Lisa Yon and will explore ways to promote agency in captive animals (especially elephants!). đ
Hoping to see many of you!
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
3 months ago
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In 2024, my colleagues and I organized the @evothan symposium, bringing together experts in comparative thanatology from around the world.
At the time, a French documentary team captured many of us in action: now available to watch here (w/ Eng subtitles): www.arte.tv/fr/videos/11...
#animalgrief
4 months ago
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The next session of our online seminar is tomorrow !!
Angie Pepper will be presenting, on the topic « A good life or their own life? Rethinking nonhuman animal interests in freedom ».
Relevant information can be found here : www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Youâre welcome to join!
4 months ago
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Next session is tomorrow !
Come and join us to unveil the mystery of animal agency (or just try to make sense of the concept actuallyâŠ)! Daria Zakharova will be presenting.
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
5 months ago
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This is a book I am really looking forward to read đ : The Arrogant Ape by @christinewebb.bsky.social (spoiler alert: we are the said arrogant apes)
Will report once done đđ€
5 months ago
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A picture of Berlin at night, fireworks are going off in the background and corvids are flying in the air.
A picture of a hooded crow in a water puddle on the street. Some lights in the background.
Picture of the Berlin skyline at night. Corvids are flying in the air.
As Bonfire Night approaches, new research lnkd.in/epBXK8Tu by @distrustful-dinos.bsky.social and me shows that fireworks significantly disturb urban corvids. OA: ecoevorxiv.org/repository/d...
#BonfireNight #Wildlife #AnimalWelfare #Corvids
đž Photo: @distrustful-dinos.bsky.social
5 months ago
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Our seminar on animal agency, between biology and philosophy, is back !
Check out the programme for the next sessions here !
We meet on the second Wednesday of each month, on Zoom, from 4 to 5 PM (UK time).
Youâre very welcome to join ! :)
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
5 months ago
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Merci à Renan Strauss et @laviedesidees.bsky.social pour cette généreuse recension de mon livre ! Paru aux @editions-puf.bsky.social et disponible dans beaucoup de librairies : www.puf.com/du-finalisme...
7 months ago
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@editions-puf.bsky.social
7 months ago
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Merci à Renan Strauss et @laviedesidees.bsky.social pour cette généreuse recension de mon livre ! Paru aux PUF et disponible dans beaucoup de librairies : www.puf.com/du-finalisme...
7 months ago
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Peut-on confronter la philosophie bergsonienne aux problÚmes de la biologie contemporaine de l'évolution ? Entre finalisme et mécanisme, M. Tahar montre la fécondité toujours actuelle de l'élan vital.
7 months ago
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"Comme lâhistoire humaine, celle de la vie est imprĂ©visible et nâoffre que rĂ©trospectivement lâillusion dâun enchaĂźnement causal dĂ©terministe."
Ă lire aujourd'hui sur @laviedesidees.bsky.social, la recension par Renan Strauss de 'Du finalisme en biologie' de @drmathildetahar.bsky.social —ïž
7 months ago
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« Avec son propos clair et bien documentĂ© dâun point de vue scientifique, Mathilde Tahar a sans conteste rĂ©ussi Ă dĂ©poussiĂ©rer Bergson. GrĂące Ă son travail, on comprend ce que la philosophie bergsonienne peut avoir de stimulant pour penser lâĂ©volution aujourdâhui. »
laviedesidees.fr/L-elan-vital...
7 months ago
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Il y a un an, je finissais mon livreâŠ
www.puf.com/du-finalisme...
9 months ago
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Title: au revoir les philosophes France used to revere its intellectuals but the men moaning about le wokisme are intellectual lightweights By Emily Herring 16 jul 2025 A photo of Jean-Paul Sartre talking to two women
I wrote about the slow death of the French public intellectual
app.thenewworld.co.uk/story/138799...
9 months ago
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I wonder, if we truly believe we are so much better than other species, why have we spent thousands of years driving home the point?
9 months ago
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In a letter drawn from a posthumous collection of correspondence, published in 2019, the neurologist Oliver Sacks argued that society had no immunity to the seductions of digital life. âWhat we are seeingâand bringing on ourselvesâresembles a neurological catastrophe on a gigantic scale,â he wrote.
9 months ago
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Great paper on the degrees and levels of innovativeness, contributing to the ongoing debate on how to compare innovations & the ability to innovate !!
(Nb. to be distinguished from the propensity to invent, which we are studying in chacma baboons @animalinvention.bsky.social ).
9 months ago
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đ„New paper out!đ„
Here, Grant & I defend a novel, multidimensional account of behavioural innovativeness that is multilevel too. This complicates comparative claims, as the links btwn individual & group innovativeness are far from straightforward.
Yes, #Neanderthals do pop up in the mix đđș
#philsky
9 months ago
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"L'animal est omniprĂ©sent dans l'Ćuvre de Bergson, apparaissant comme un modĂšle nĂ©cessaire Ă la fois pour penser lâhumanitĂ©, et pour la replacer dans le mouvement gĂ©nĂ©ral de lâĂ©volution." đđŠ©đđ
Penser l'animal avec Bergson, par @drmathildetahar.bsky.social —ïž
9 months ago
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Les découvertes de la biologie contemporaine donnent un contenu empirique à l'idée bergsonienne selon laquelle les animaux insÚrent de l'indétermination dans le monde. Bergson apparaßt dÚs lors comme le complément philosophique nécessaire aux avancées de l'éthologie et de la biologie de l'évolution.
9 months ago
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Mieux comprendre les animaux en mĂȘlant philosophie bergsonienne et biologie contemporaine, câest ma niche Ă©cologique đ±
Jây parle de Bergson (Ă©videmment), de babouins, de corbeaux, et de la mode du chapeau-saumon đ đŠâ⏠đł
laviedesidees.fr/Penser-l-ani...
9 months ago
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Notre discussion avec @fmoullard.bsky.social sur la conscience animale, guidée par Fabien Trécourt, est désormais disponible en podcast!
On y a parlĂ© du jeu des poulpesđ, des collaborations entre loups et corbeauxđș đŠââŹet de ce que ça fait d'ĂȘtre une chauve-souris đŠ!
smartlink.ausha.co/soirees-phil...
9 months ago
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The last session of our seminar before the summer break will take place next Thursday! We will be discussing the possibility of connecting (or not) the different concepts of biological agency. I will be leading the session! (Note: I am on maternity leave to take care of my newborn daughter, and I chose to lead this last session; no one forced me to! That's how passionate I am about the subject... or how much of a workaholic I am) You're very welcome to join us through Zoom. More infos on the seminar to be found here : https://www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar-agency-between-biology-and-philosophy-first-session-report-and- upcoming-sessions Please feel free to email me if you have any questions :)
The next session of our seminar will take place on Thursday! I will be leading this session.
(Note: I am on maternity leave, and chose to lead this session! That's how passionate I am about the subject!)
You're very welcome to join us through Zoom!
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
10 months ago
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