[Revised entry by Maureen A. O’Malley and Emily C. Parke on April 10, 2026.
Changes to: Main text, Bibliography, notes.html]
Why should philosophers pay attention to microbes? Many philosophical topics seem quite obviously unmicrobial, insofar as they focus on issues concerning human capacities, activities and interests. Even philosophers of biology used to focus almost exclusively on animals, meaning that the field neglected many lineages of life. But redressing that imbalance is underway, and fungi and plants as well as microbes are receiving some attention in philosophy of biology. However, such topics are a minority interest in philosophy at large,...