Ecologists as meaning-makers in the field: Connecting ecological data and philosophical reflection for biocultural conservation

Ecological data both inform and are informed by implicit philosophical reasoning, which we metaphorically call “conceptual lenses.” Although it is not certain what effects explicitly publicizing and integrating philosophical introspection and creative construction of new conceptual lenses would have on ecological research, there are certain precedents. Darwin, for example, realized that Fuegians and Europeans are members of the same species through empirical observation interwoven with philosophical reflection during the HMS Beagle expedition in Cape Horn. Here we explore opportunities available to ecologists as meaning-makers in the field.