Natural Born Monads: On the Metaphysics of Organisms and Human Individuals

Published by De Gruyter 2020

Natural Born Monads

On the Metaphysics of Organisms and Human Individuals

Edited by: Andrea Altobrando and Pierfrancesco Biasetti

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110604665

Overview
Contents

About this book

We are still looking for a satisfactory definition of what makes an individual being a human individual. The understanding of human beings in terms of organism does not seem to be satisfactory, because of its reductionistic flavor. It satisfies our need for autonomy and benefits our lives thanks to its medical applications, but it disappoints our needs for conscious and free, self-determination. For similar reasons, i.e. because of its anti-libertarian tone, an organicistic understanding of the relationship between individual and society has also been rejected, although no truly satisfactory alternative for harmonizing individual and social wellness has been put forth. Thus, a reassessment of the very concepts of individual and organism is needed.

In this book, the authors present a specific line of thought which started with Leibniz' concept of monad in 17^th century, continued through Kant and Hegel, and as a result reached the first Eastern country to attempt to assimilate, as well as confront, with Western philosophy and sciences, i.e. Japan. The line of thought we are tracing has gone on to become one the main voices in current debates in the philosophy of biology, as well as philosophical anthropology, and social philosophy.

As a whole, the volume offers a both historical, and systematic account of one specific understanding of individuals and their environment, which tries to put together its natural embedding, as well as its dialectical nature. Such a historical, systematic map will also allow to better evaluate how life sciences impact our view of our individual lives, of human activities, of institutions, politics, and, finally, of humankind in general.

Author / Editor information

A. Altobrando, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China; P. Biasetti, University of Padova, Italy.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Table of Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Natural Born Monads Andrea Altobrando and Pierfrancesco Biasetti Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Between Laws and Norms. Genesis of the Concept of Organism in Leibniz and in the Early Modern Western Philosophy Antonio M. Nunziante Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	11
The Ontology of Organismic Agency: A Kantian Approach Hugh Desmond and Philippe Huneman Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	33
Teleology, Backward Causation and Contradiction. Hegel’s Dialectical Account of Organic Nature Michela Bordignon Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	65
Being Rational: Hegel on the Human Way of Being Luca Illetterati Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	89
Hegel and the Question “What Characterizes Human Beings qua Animal Organisms of a Specific Sort?” Federico Sanguinetti Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	111
Marx’s Philosophy on Natural History Yusuke Akimoto Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	137
From Monads to Monera Caroline Angleraux Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	153
Idealism and Darwin – Rejection, Accommodation, Appropriation: James Hutchison Stirling and David George Ritchie Robert Kocis Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	177
Biology and the Philosophy of History: Nishida Kitarō and the Philosophy of “Necessity that Includes Freedom” Yūjin Itabashi Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	199
Tanabe Hajime and the Concept of Species: Approaching Nature as a Missing Shade in the Logic of Species Takeshi Morisato Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	213
Teleology, Life, and Cognition: Reconsidering Jonas’ Legacy for a Theory of the Organism Andrea Gambarotto Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	243
Dialectical Thinking and Science: The Case of Richard Lewontin, Dialectical Biologist Pierfrancesco Biasetti Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	265
Can Normativity be the Force of Nature that Solves the Problem of Partes Extra Partes? Episode IV – A New Hope – Natural Detachment and the Case of the Hybrid Hominin Lenny Moss Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	293
Towards a Constructivist Approach to Human Nature Tom Rockmore Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	315
Index of names Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	333

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter
Audience: Scholars, institutes, libraries (philosophy of science, philosophical anthropology, social philosophy, biology)
Pages
- Front matter: 6
- Main content: 337
Keywords: Organism; monad; individual; human nature

eBook

Published: October 12, 2020
ISBN: 9783110604665

Hardcover

Published: October 12, 2020
ISBN: 9783110602784

Paperback

Published: July 18, 2022
ISBN: 9783110996708