Conceptual Ecology for Interdisciplinarity

Abstract: Despite widespread agreement on the value of interdisciplinarity, significant debate persists about its fundamental nature. We propose a framework to address this disagreement by drawing on ideas from philosophy of biology, particularly the work of Karola Stotz and Paul Griffiths (e.g., 2004). Our conceptual ecological approach supports a productive pluralism: a pluralism that is organized and can help to address practical issues. Within this framework, concepts of interdisciplinarity are viewed as tools shaped by the niches that they occupy. We illustrate this approach by providing a case study on the Toolbox Dialogue Initiative, a philosophical method for facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration. Finally, we highlight the theoretical and practical benefits of adopting a conceptual ecological approach to interdisciplinarity.