2016-2017 Graduate Academic Catalogue 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2016-2017 Graduate Academic Catalogue [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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LS 712 - Nature: The History of a Philosophical Concept

(3.00 cr.)

"Nature tends to hide itself." This adage by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus was one of the first philosophical statements about nature-and we are still seeking. This course explores how the concept of nature has evolved: the early Greeks made it the foundation of metaphysics; Christian thinkers like Augustine despised it, or they made it overlap with the concept of God before early modern thinkers like Descartes gave it a mechanistic outlook; then it turned out that nature seems to have a history and an "evolution"; the twentieth century witnessed the dissolution of the concept of nature in relativity and indeterminacy as well as the revival of nature as a "person" that suffers and has its own rights, so that through environmentalism nature has turned into a political asset. Participants read and discuss exemplary primary sources of all areas; they are encouraged to contribute from their professional points of view. The inclusion of science, current affairs, or literature will depend on the specific engagement of participants. As it spans all epochs of Western philosophy and touches upon a variety of disciplines, this course may serve as a general overview of philosophy.



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