Séminaire – H&P Bio

« Rethinking Vital Function and Agency at the Turn of the Nineteenth Century », Joan Steigerwald – (York University, Canada)

Résumé :

Organist theories at the turn of the 19^th century are often read through a metaphysical lens. Kant’s concept of natural purposes is regarded as merely heuristic, in contrast to natural mechanism, and post-Kantian theorists are regarded as populating the world with metaphysical organic powers. This paper reconsiders these readings, arguing that both Kant and post-Kantians regarded the organic functions and vitality studied in the contemporary life sciences as empirically real and sought concepts to make sense of these phenomena. Kant’s conception of organisms as reciprocally cause and effects, means and ends, of themselves was taken up as richly suggestive. Schelling developed it into a concept of an inner sphere or milieu of vital activity.

Lieu : salle 646A (Mondrian) – bâtiment Condorcet