Philosophy of Nature - 2nd semester
Code
711031065
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Filosofia
Credits
6
Teacher in charge
Marta Mendonça
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
a) Place the Philosophy of Nature in the general context of philosophical knowledge;
b) Identify and precisely describe the main questions dealt with by the Philosophy of Nature;
c) Know directly some of the historically most important texts in the Philosophy of Nature sphere;
d) Study the concepts of \"nature\" and \"natural\" and place them in the context of the concepts to which they are related as either complements or opposites;
e) Study important Philosophy of Nature issues.
Prerequisites
None.
Subject matter
Teleology and Mechanism
When thinking about nature, its order and dynamics, Aristotle criticises ancient mechanism and aims at refuting it. On the other hand, the modern conception of nature recoups mechanism, and defends that it is the only true explanation of natural processes; from this point of view, the modern conception of nature presents itself also as a refutation, but now of the Aristotelian conception of nature, which appeals to teleology in order to reject mechanism.
This program aims at confronting these two forms of conceiving nature and the reasons behind them. As a way to test the two forms and to identify the reasons for their incompatibility, we will examine 1) the status of the notion of end in each of them and 2) the role this notion plays in the explanation of nature in each of them.
Bibliography
ARISTOTLE, Physics. With an English translation by P. Wickstead and Francis Cornford. 2 vols. Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 1957-1960. Aristote. Physique. Texte établi et trad. par Henri Charteron. 2 vols. Paris, Les Belles Lettres, 1963-1969.
F. BACON, The Works of Francis Bacon. Edited by James Spedding, Robert Leslie Ellis and Douglas Denon Heath. XV vols. Boston, Houghton Mifflin and Company, s/d.
R. BOYLE, The Works of Robert Boyle. Edited by Michael Hunter and Edward B. Davis. 14 vols. London, Pickering & Chatto, 1999-2000
R. DESCARTES, Oeuvres Complètes. Publiées par Charles Adam et Adam Tannery. Édition du Jubilé. 11 vols. Paris, Vrin, 1996.
G. W. LEIBNIZ, Die philosophischen Schriften. Hrsg. von K. I. Gerhardt, Berlin, 1875-1890. 7 vols. Reimpr. Hildesheim-New York, Georg Olms Verlag, l978.
B. SPINOZA, The collected works of Spinoza. Edited and translated by Edwin Curley. 2 vols. Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1985: Oeuvres complètes. Texte présenté, t
Teaching method
The course will have a double explanatory and hands-on approach. There will be theoretical classes, designed to introduce and frame the ideas of several philosophers, as well as to formulate and expand the problems under review; and classes more focused on the analysis and discussion of the literature. Students will have access to the texts to be discussed and should prepare them before class.
In class teaching.
Evaluation method
1. One written test at the middle of the course (35%).
2. One written test at the end of the course (65%).