This book offers a comprehensive account of vitalism and the Romantic philosophy of nature. The author explores the rise of biology as a unified science in Germany by reconstructing the history of the notion of “vital force,” starting from the mid-eighteenth through the early nineteenth century. Further, he argues that Romantic Naturphilosophie played a crucial role in the rise of biology in Germany, especially thanks to its treatment of teleology. In fact, both post-Kantian philosophers and naturalists were guided by teleological principles in defining the object of biological research. The book begins by considering the problem of generation, focusing on the debate over the notion of “formative force.” Readers are invited to engage with the epistemological status of this formative force, i.e. the question of the principle behind organization. The second chapter provides a reconstruction of the physiology of vital forces as it was elaborated in the mid- to late-eighteenth century by the group of physicians and naturalists known as the “Göttingen School.” Readers are shown how these authors developed an understanding of the animal kingdom as a graded series of organisms with increasing functional complexity. Chapter three tracks the development of such framework in Romantic Naturphilosophie. The author introduces the reader to the problem of classification, showing how Romantic philosophers of nature regarded classification as articulated by a unified plan that connects all living forms with one another, relying on the idea of living nature as a universal organism. In the closing chapter, this analysis shows how the three instances of pre-biological discourse on living beings – theory of generation, physiology and natural history – converged to form the consolidated disciplinary matrix of a general biology. The book offers an insightful read for all scholars interested in classical German philosophy, especially those researching the philosophy of nature, as well as the history and philosophy of biology.
This book offers a comprehensive account of vitalism and the Romantic philosophy of nature. The author explores the rise of biology as a unified science in Germany by reconstructing the history of the notion of “vital force,” starting from the mid-eighteenth through the early nineteenth century. Further, he argues that Romantic Naturphilosophie played a crucial role in the rise of biology in Germany, especially thanks to its treatment of teleology. In fact, both post-Kantian philosophers and naturalists were guided by teleological principles in defining the object of biological research. The book begins by considering the problem of generation, focusing on the debate over the notion of “formative force.” Readers are invited to engage with the epistemological status of this formative force, i.e. the question of the principle behind organization. The second chapter provides a reconstruction of the physiology of vital forces as it was elaborated in the mid- to late-eighteenth century by the group of physicians and naturalists known as the “Göttingen School.” Readers are shown how these authors developed an understanding of the animal kingdom as a graded series of organisms with increasing functional complexity. Chapter three tracks the development of such framework in Romantic Naturphilosophie. The author introduces the reader to the problem of classification, showing how Romantic philosophers of nature regarded classification as articulated by a unified plan that connects all living forms with one another, relying on the idea of living nature as a universal organism. In the closing chapter, this analysis shows how the three instances of pre-biological discourse on living beings – theory of generation, physiology and natural history – converged to form the consolidated disciplinary matrix of a general biology. The book offers an insightful read for all scholars interested in classical German philosophy, especially those researching the philosophy of nature, as well as the history and philosophy of biology.
Una narrazione che inizia dalla fine, una storia ricostruita attraverso i ricordi del protagonista che, nel loro susseguirsi, si fanno a volte frammentari, altre volte distorti ma sempre vivi nonostante il dolore che spesso portano con sé. Grazie ad una scrittura avvincente, Pedrazzini riesce a trascinare il lettore negli stati d’animo del protagonista in un’escalation di eventi fino all’inaspettato epilogo. Andrea Fabio Massimo Pedrazzini nasce a Milano, il 6 febbraio 1985. Sin da bambino coltiva la propria passione per gli studi umanistici, per la letteratura e per il cinema. Frequenta il liceo classico e la facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia, conseguendo la laurea in Comunicazione per l’Impresa e i Media, presso l’Università Cattolica di Milano. Dopo un lungo periodo dedicato alla carriera sportiva, inizia un percorso professionale presso un’importante azienda italiana, dove oggi ricopre il ruolo di Responsabile Marketing e Comunicazione. Nel frattempo, dedica il proprio tempo libero alla scrittura, continuando a creare storie e ad esplorare l’animo umano in tutte le sue forme. Imago Picta è il suo romanzo d’esordio.
This translated volume by Andrea Borghini and Elena Casetta (original title: Filosofia della biologia) introduces a wide spectrum of key philosophical problems related to life sciences in a clear framework and an accessible style, with a special emphasis on metaphysical questions.
After decades of economic integration and EU enlargement, the economic geography of Europe has shifted, with new peripheries emerging and the core showing signs of fragmentation. This book examines the paths of the core and peripheral countries, with a focus on their diverse productive capabilities and their interdependence. Crisis in the European Monetary Union: A Core-Periphery Perspective provides a new framework for analysing the economic crisis that has shaken the Eurozone countries. Its analysis goes beyond the short-term, to study the medium and long-term relations between ‘core’ countries (particularly Germany) and Southern European ‘peripheral’ countries. The authors argue that long-term sustainability means assigning the state a key role in guiding investment, which in turn implies industrial policies geared towards diversifying, innovating and strengthening the economic structures of peripheral countries to help them thrive. Offering a fresh angle on the European crisis, this volume will appeal to students, academics and policymakers interested in the past, present and future construction of Europe.
Andrea was born in 1969 in Italy. He studied history and political science at La Sapienza in Rome. Based in France for the last thirteen years, he has worked for television (Arte, Odyssée) and the press (Télérama, Jazz Hot). He has written several novels, poems and plays, the majority written in both languages. His play, Silvio Blues, the satire of a beaten and pathetic autocrat, gives us an intimate glimpse of what dictators experience when they fall. It is impossible to remain unmoved by this grotesque and disenchanted play.
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