Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English en
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Hegel's Philosophy of Biology

Objective

The project addresses Hegel’s philosophical stance concerning the nature of organismic life, which in contemporary
terms might be defined as his philosophy of biology. It asks how Hegel assesses the ontological status of living organisms, the purposive features of living systems, and the relation between life and cognition. It further asks whether Hegel’s philosophy of biology can be interpreted as a theory of biological autonomy. While extensive literature has been devoted to Kant’s philosophy of biology, Hegel's work on this topic remains largely unexplored. This is due to a long-lasting preconception against his philosophy of nature, which originated in the nineteenth century and still reigns today. The challenge of the project is to remove this preconception. The term “biological autonomy” was coined by biologists Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela to define the ability of a living system to produce and maintain itself. My working hypothesis is that the framework of biological autonomy provides the most effective template for re-reading Hegel today and that Hegel’s theory of biological individuality is extremely useful for those who aim to lay the philosophical groundwork for the articulation of a biologically compelling theoretical alternative to the mechanistic conception of life.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2017

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN
Net EU contribution
€ 160 800,00
Address
PLACE DE L UNIVERSITE 1
1348 LOUVAIN LA NEUVE
Belgium
Region
Région de Bruxelles-Capitale/Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest Région de Bruxelles-Capitale/ Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest Arr. de Bruxelles-Capitale/Arr. Brussel-Hoofdstad
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
€ 160 800,00

Participants (1)