title: Toward a theory of organisms: Three founding principles in search of a useful integration.
abstract: Organisms, be they uni- or multi-cellular, are agents capable of creating their own norms; they are continuously harmonizing their ability to create novelty and stability, that is, they combine plasticity with robustness. Here we articulate the three principles for a theory of organisms, namely: the default state of proliferation with variation and motility, the principle of variation and the principle of organization. These principles profoundly change both biological observables and their determination with respect to the theoretical framework of physical theories. This radical change opens up the possibility of anchoring mathematical modeling in biologically proper principles.
authors: Centre Cavaillès, République des Savoirs, CNRS USR3608, Collège de France et Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France; Department of Integrative Physiology and Pathobiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: ana.soto@tufts.edu.
authors: Ana M
authors: AM
authors: Soto
authors: Centre Cavaillès, République des Savoirs, CNRS USR3608, Collège de France et Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France; Department of Integrative Physiology and Pathobiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Longo
authors: Université de Toulouse 2, 5 Allée Antonio Machado, 31058, Toulouse Cedex 9, France.
authors: Paul-Antoine
authors: PA
authors: Miquel
authors: Laboratoire "Matière et Systèmes Complexes" (MSC), UMR 7057 CNRS, Université Paris 7 Diderot, 75205, Paris Cedex 13, France.
authors: Maël
authors: M
authors: Montevil
authors: IHPST (CNRS/Paris 1/ENS), 13, Rue du Four, 75006, Paris, France.
authors: Matteo
authors: M
authors: Mossio
authors: Centre Cavaillès, République des Savoirs, CNRS USR3608, Collège de France et Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France.
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Perret
authors: Department of Philosophy, Charles Perkins Center, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Arnaud
authors: A
authors: Pocheville
authors: Department of Integrative Physiology and Pathobiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Centre Cavaillès, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France; Institut d'Etudes Avancees de Nantes, France.
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: Sonnenschein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008954:Models, Biological
keywords: Biological organization; Default state; Individuation; Organizational closure; Variation