EDITORIAL
published: 18 June 2021
doi: 10.3389/ psyg.2021.704772
F on ie s in Psychology | www. on ie sin.o g 1June 2021 | Volume 12 | A icle 704772
Edi ed and e iewed by:
Anna M. Bo ghi,
Sapienza Uni e si y o Rome, I aly
*Co espondence:
Kepa Ruiz-Mi azo
[email p o ec ed]
Special y sec ion:
This a icle was submi ed o
Theo e ical and Philosophical
Psychology,
a sec ion o he jou nal
F on ie s in Psychology
Recei ed: 03 May 2021
Accep ed: 13 May 2021
Published: 18 June 2021
Ci a ion:
E xebe ia A, Damiano L and
Ruiz-Mi azo K (2021) Edi o ial:
‘In e -iden i ies’ in Li e, Mind, and
Socie y. F on . Psychol. 12:704772.
doi: 10.3389/ psyg.2021.704772
Edi o ial: ‘In e -iden i ies’ in Li e,
Mind, and Socie y
A an za E xebe ia1, Luisa Damiano2and Kepa Ruiz-Mi azo1,3*
1Depa men o Philosophy, IAS Resea ch Cen e o Li e, Mind, and Socie y, Uni e si y o he Basque Coun y (UPV/EHU),
Donos ia-San Sebas ián, Spain, 2Depa men o Communica ion, A s and Media, IULM Uni e si y, Milan, I aly, 3Bio isika
Ins i u e (CSIC, UPV/EHU)—Basque Cen e o Biophysics, Leioa, Spain
Keywo ds: complexi y, indi iduali y, in e ac ion, ela ional au onomy, agency
Edi o ial on he Resea ch Topic
‘In e -iden i ies’ in Li e, Mind, and Socie y
The complexi y o li e, mind and socie y seems o be an endless sou ce o challenges o philosophy
and science, which keep explo ing hem unde e e -new lenses. In o de o explain o desc ibe hese
domains, sys emic app oaches in es iga e how pa s a e dynamically o ganized and in eg a ed,
e ically, as wholes a icula ed in many le els, whe eas in e ac i e iews del e in o p ope ies,
en i ies and p ocesses cha ac e izing ho izon al ela ions. He e complexi y, hough g ounded in
ea u es ha a e concei ed as indi idual and cohesi e, is mos p ominen ly ecognized o a ise om
in e ac ions a he in e sec ions among sys ems o ming wide ensembles o di e se conso ia. On
his basis, indi iduali y and iden i y o wholes a e unde s ood as a ec ed and/o cons i u ed by
in e ac i e dynamics wi h o he sys ems and he en i onmen .
Classical app oaches o en comp ise indi idualis ic assump ions ha neglec in e ac ions and
collec i e phenomena ela ed o iden i y. Na u alis accoun s ha e o con on signi ican ouble in
concep ualizing iden i y and indi iduali y, since he massi e in e connec i i y and/o he e ogenei y
among componen s in insic o complex o ganiza ions en ail ema kable di icul ies in de e mining
p imi i e sys ems o s a ing poin s. Cu en ly, new modeling and explana o y app oaches engage
in s udying a a ie y o p ocesses, such as me abolic in e ac ions gi ing ise o he i s li ing cells,
hei e olu ion h ough la e al ans e o genes, he eme gence o mul icellula o ganisms, he
in e subjec i e pa icipa ion in sense-making o in he gene a ion o cogni i e meaning, social
in e play as a sou ce o au onomous decision-making, and echnologically media ed in e ela ion
in social g oups and ne wo k dynamics.
Ra he han ocusing on subs an ial iden i ies, hese endea o s examine how he en i ies
in ol ed in hose p ocesses appea , change and ac in con ex . This pe spec i e excludes he
possibili y o concei ing such en i ies as independen indi iduals, and equi es o conside hem
as en angled. When de ining he i le o his Resea ch Topic, we coined he e m “in e -iden i ies”
o e e o hese kinds o in e ac ions and, mo e p ecisely, o indica e wha eme ges om hese
in e ac i e p ocesses and canno be ound in he in e ac o s, when aken sepa a ely. We in oduced
he no ion o in e -iden i ies wi h a p og amma ic aim: p omo ing he explo a ion o new s a egies
o s udy and concep ualize hese o ms o complex in e ac ion.
The a icles ga he ed in his Resea ch Topic (RT) p opose inqui ies con e gen o
ha goal. They a e based on mul iple ansdisciplina y app oaches aiming a desc ibing
complex in e ac i e p ocesses belonging o he li ing, he cogni i e and he social domains.
E xebe ia e al. Edi o ial: ‘In e -Iden i ies’ in Li e, Mind, and Socie y
A cen al ea u e o he sys ems popula ing hese h ee
domains, ypically cap u ed h ough he no ion o au onomy,
is he capabili y o coupling wi h he en i onmen and o he
sys ems. An au onomous sys em canno be in e p e ed as ully
de e mined by in e nal, localized elemen s, like genes, no by
ex e nal ac o s. The p ope y o au onomy en ails sys ems whose
dynamics o sel -p oduc ion a e based on in e ac ions be ween
he sys ems as wholes, hei componen s and hei en i onmen s.
Hence, hese sys ems’ au onomous beha io is deeply g ounded
in in e ac i e dynamics, so ha he au onomy in ol es no ma i e
assessmen s o he en i onmen , in such a way ha o he sys ems
and si ua ions a e pe cei ed and cognized acco ding o hose
in e ac i e no ms, as well in no ma i e cons ain s p omp ed
om he en i onmen .
In his sense, o li ing, cogni i e and social sys ems he
no ion o au onomy and he no ion o in e -iden i y a e deeply
in e connec ed: hey ac ually a icula e a ension be ween, on one
side, he sel -de e mined cha ac e o hese sys ems’ dynamics
o sel -p oduc ion and gene a ion o beha io , and, on he o he
side, he mul iple connec ions in luencing hese p ocesses.
This ension a els ac oss he a icles con ibu ing o he
RT. The ela ed p oblems conce n di e en scien i ic and
philosophical aspec s in he h ee a ge domains o li e, mind
and socie y, o mo e ans e sal, epis emological dimensions o
in e -iden i ies, and he esea ch challenges hey in ol e.
(a) Li e and Biology. An impo an ac ion o he a icles
engages wi h in e -iden i ies in his ealm. In he ield o he
o igins o li e,Ruiz-Mi azo e al., sugges ha he i s li ing
cells al eady comp ise an i educible collec i e dimension, bo h
in ecological and e olu iona y e ms, necessa y o explain how
se e al bo lenecks o he p ocess o biogenesis a e o e come.
Abou he o ganiza ion o he mo ili y o euka yo e cells in
in e ac ion wi h he en i onmen , Mili ello a gues ha i s
eme gence in ol es a s ic con ol o he mo ile abili ies o
hei cons i u ing en i ies, such as o ganelles o endosymbio ic
o igin (i.e., mi ochond ia and plas ids) and lagella, al hough
i does no necessa ily en ail a comple e loss o he agen ial
capaci ies o he indi idual pa s. Expanding he discussion
owa d o he complex collec i i ies, Canciani e al., build an
o ganiza ional accoun o eusociali y which emphasizes he
egula o y con ol ela ionships in ol ed in some insec colonies
(e.g., Apis melli e a, hei case s udy), in ol ing a hie a chically
o ganized ne wo k o in e ac ions.
Looking a examples in syn he ic biology Bich akes a
complemen a y iew on he p oblem o “in e -iden i y” by
s udying he ways in which models and ealiza ions o ha
ield can con ibu e o disco e he in e ac i e dimension o
minimal li e and cogni ion. In pa icula , he a icle discusses
how concep s such as con ol, cogni ion, communica ion can
cha ac e ize hose in e ac ions.
O he pape s explo e e olu iona y p ocesses o which
in e ac ions a e decisi e. He nández and Vecchi in es iga e how
biological au onomy is compa ible wi h e olu iona y p ocesses
by which li ing o ganisms cap u e and in eg a e en i onmen al
ing edien s di ec ly wi hin hei own dynamic o ganiza ion;
hey analyse, in pa icula , bio ic en enchmen emphasizing he
in e ac i e aspec s o he cons uc ion o he indi idual. Also
wi hin his line, an illus a i e case o he e olu iona y ele ance
o in e ac ions o in e speci ic indi iduals is o e ed by Sua ez
and T i iño on he sangui o y die o ampi e ba s as an
adap a ion occu ing a he le el o he holobion , he hos –
mic obiome mul ispecies sys ems. Besides, Nuño de la Rosa e al.
conside he e olu ion o eu he ian p egnancy as he ela ional
eme gence o he p egnan emale a new kind o his o ical
indi idual, in con as wi h p e alen dualis ic concep ions o en
based on con lic models abou he ela ionship be ween mo he s
and emb yos.
(b) Minds and psychology. A second g oup o a icles
examines issues ela ed o cogni i e agency and iden i y
in in e ac ions.
On pe sonal iden i y in social in e ac ion om an enac i e
s andpoin , James and Loaiza cha ac e ize in e -pe sonal
iden i ies as collec ions o en angled s abili ies ha eme ge
in ecu en social in e ac ion, and emphasize how sense-
making, a he pe sonal le el, is a mani es a ion o his o ies o
ac ing oge he . Ano he ocus o in e es is he ole o social
in e ac ions in non-he e osexual pe sonal iden i y; Collado and
Besoain in oduce a p ocessual heo y o examine he su e ing
associa ed wi h he in luence o p e alen he e ono ma i e
en i onmen s on iden i ies. In o de o o e come s anda d
monologic accoun s, hey conside how mul iple e ec s o sel -
s a es can be p oduced, ecu en ly uni ied o c ea e iden i ies
inhe en ly suscep ible o ans o ma ion, o example h ough
pe o mance a . Add essing p egnancy om an agen ial
pe spec i e, Ma ínez Quin e o and De Jaeghe con e ge in
p ospec ing he in e ac i e de elopmen al o ganiza ion o
mo he -baby ela ions, and s ess he impo ance o aking
in o accoun he wo in e -connec ed agencies, as well as how
ma e nal agency changes while p egnancy ad ances.
(c) Socie ies, educa ion, bioe hics. This g oup o a icles
o e s speci ic and insigh ul examples o in e -iden i ies. In e -
iden i ies in educa ion is he opic explo ed by Pé ez-Izagui e
in he con ex o a Basque seconda y school in which adolescen
s uden s, coming om di e se e hnic backg ounds, mee
and end o cons uc hei iden i y h ough ansg ession.
A ie a’s a icle conce ns he domain o bioe hics in medicine.
Based on he discussion o pa ien s’ decisional, execu i e, and
na a i e capaci ies, he au ho p oposes a cha ac e iza ion
o he pa ien ’s au onomy in he case o poo ea men
adhe ence, and examines wha app op ia e ac ions may
con ibu e o inc ease adhe ence a es. The collec i e dimension
o social and poli ical o ms o o ganiza ion is explo ed by
Ba andia an e al., wi hin he amewo k o ne wo ked digi al
in e ac ions. By means o a de ailed and c i ical explo a ion
o di e en heo e ical iews o iden i y, hey cha ac e ize
collec i e iden i ies as ecu en , cohesi e, and coo dina ed
communica i e in e ac ion ne wo ks, ollowing a echnical
g aph– heo e ical app oach.
(d) Epis emic dimensions o in e iden i ies. Al hough all he
a icles con ibu e o he s udy o in e iden i ies, some o hem
a e pa icula ly dedica ed o mo e gene al epis emic ma e s.
Thus, Gómez-Ma in and A nau examine he epis emological
changes equi ed o concep ualize in e -iden i ies, which
should be a he hough , acco ding o hei Whi eheadian
F on ie s in Psychology | www. on ie sin.o g 2June 2021 | Volume 12 | A icle 704772
E xebe ia e al. Edi o ial: ‘In e -Iden i ies’ in Li e, Mind, and Socie y
(in e nalis - ela ional) accoun , as “in a-iden i ies.” They
c i icize no only educ ionis , bu also eme gen is posi ions,
a guing in a o o a gene al shi o pe spec i e owa d
p ocess on ology o o e come di icul ies a ibu ed o he
-simple loca ion- assump ion, which gi es he alse imp ession
ha endu ing subs ances exis . Th ough he analysis o
some expe imen al and modeling p ac ices o biologis s,
Mon e il and Mossio explo e he way in which his o ical and
ela ional app oaches in e p e he iden i y o o ganisms. The
acknowledgmen o a complemen a y ela ion be ween hese
iews leads he au ho s o p omo e a compelling con e gence o
hese pe spec i es in a hyb id cons uc . Also wi hin philosophy
o biology, Fe ei a-Ruiz and Ume ez discuss in e ac ionism
wi h ega d o gene-cen ism and he na u e-nu u e p oblem.
They c i icize he agueness ha gene al in e ac ionis accoun s
end o show, and p opose examining mo e ca e ully he
causa ion behind complexi y in o de o cla i y he in e ac ionis
claims (e.g., causal pa i y) suppo ing de la iona y posi ions wi h
espec o gene ics.
In gene al, he con ibu ions ga he ed in his RT
ackle, om di e en pe spec i es, wo main sides o a
common issue: how do complex (biological, cogni i e,
social) sys ems cons uc hei iden i ies? And also:
how do science and philosophy concep ualize and
me hodologically explo e in e ac i i ies? We belie e ha
he answe s hey p opose cons i u e a ema kably di e se
and hough -p o oking body o esea ch, delinea ing new
app oaches o desc ibe he p ocesses o in e ac ion in which
complex iden i ies—in e -iden i ies—eme ge.
AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
All au ho s lis ed ha e made a subs an ial, di ec and in ellec ual
con ibu ion o he wo k, and app o ed i o publica ion.
FUNDING
The main unding o his esea ch was ecei ed by he Minis y
o Economy and Compe i i eness (Spain) FFI2014-52173-P
Resea ch P ojec on In e -Iden i ies (PIs: AE and KR-M). AE and
KR-M also acknowledge unding om he Basque Go e nmen
Resea ch G oups IT 1228-19 o IAS Resea ch on Li e, Mind
and Socie y.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We a e e y g a e ul o all he in i ed edi o s and e iewe s
in ol ed in b inging his Resea ch Topic o comple ion. The idea
o publishing a collec ion o a icles on hese issues o igina ed
in he con ex o he pe iodic mee ings held o o ganize ou
esea ch p ojec on in e -iden i ies ( unning du ing he pe iod
2015–2019, a he IAS Resea ch G oup o he Uni e si y o he
Basque Coun y, wi h AE and KR-M as co-PIs). We a e g a e ul
o he pa icipan s in ha p ojec , ega dless o whe he hey
ended up con ibu ing o he RT, as well as o all he au ho s
who subsequen ly submi ed hei wo k o he RT. Bu AE’s
and KR-M’s deepes hanks a e o LD, as wi hou he ene gy,
willingness and excellen wo k i would ha e been much mo e
di icul o comple e his publica ion.
Con lic o In e es : The au ho s decla e ha he esea ch was conduc ed in he
absence o any comme cial o inancial ela ionships ha could be cons ued as a
po en ial con lic o in e es .
Copy igh © 2021 E xebe ia, Damiano and Ruiz-Mi azo. This is an open-access
a icle dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion License (CC
BY). The use, dis ibu ion o ep oduc ion in o he o ums is pe mi ed, p o ided
he o iginal au ho (s) and he copy igh owne (s) a e c edi ed and ha he o iginal
publica ion in his jou nal is ci ed, in acco dance wi h accep ed academic p ac ice.
No use, dis ibu ion o ep oduc ion is pe mi ed which does no comply wi h hese
e ms.
F on ie s in Psychology | www. on ie sin.o g 3June 2021 | Volume 12 | A icle 704772
