Thinking Philosophically About Microbiology

Philosophy is undoubtedly by humans, for humans, and about humans. It is deep and abstract, while microbes are often viewed as mindless pieces of biological matter. So, how do these two seemingly unrelated subjects intersect? And why would anyone want to philosophize about microbes and the science that studies them—microbiology?

To explore these questions, let’s break things down. First, we need to consider the nature of philosophy and its purpose. Next, we should take a broader look at microbes and microbiology, and—since we tend to view the world through a human-centric lens—focus on the relationship between microbes and ourselves. Once we've done that, we can move on to a third step: connecting these two realms in a way that makes the 'philosophy of microbiology' seem like something truly worth contemplating.