Life, Organisms, and Human Nature

This collection provides the first, comprehensive overview of Classical German and modern philosophical approaches to the questions and topics involved in “nature”. Examples of questions addressed are: What do we talk about when we talk about “nature”?, and what is a “natural” explanation and what kind of intelligibility does it provide us? The book focuses on Kant, Schelling, Hegel, Humboldt and the Romantics and explores their key concepts (such as “life”, “organism,” “natural forces”, and “purpose”) for theorizing the natural realm. The volume investigates these concepts on both the historical and conceptual level. Former controversies and current relevance of these topics and debates are highlighted making this a unique resource for scholars and graduate students in philosophy working in various areas related to the study of “nature” such as the history and philosophy of science, as well as the philosophy of biology.