Why do humans think they are so much better than other species? Philosopher of Science, Frédéric Bouchard, challenges this perception!

After completing a BA and MA in philosophy at the Université de Montréal, Frédéric Bouchard completed a PhD in philosophy at Duke University (Ph.D. 2004) and went on to a post-doc fellowship at the University of Toronto. Since 2005, Frédéric Bouchard has been a professor in the Philosophy department at Université de Montréal and is the first holder of the ÉSOPE Chair in philosophy (2014-2018). He is also director of the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche sur la science et la technologie (CIRST) and is the current president of the Canadian Philosophical Association.
He has received teaching awards from the College of Arts and Sciences and from a university-wide competition at the Université de Montréal.
As a philosopher of science and a philosopher of biology, his research interests focus on the theoretical foundations of evolutionary biology and ecology. His research and his teaching show how philosophy can contribute to clearer scientific thinking and conversely, how scientific findings can contribute to traditional philosophical questions. His co-edited volume “From Groups to Individuals: Evolution and Emerging Individuality” (MIT Press 2013) explores the scientific and philosophical issues raised by the emergence of super-organisms such as insect colonies or symbiotic communities.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx