Event Timeslots (1)
Block
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03.02.-06.02.2025
The philosophy of biology was and still is characterized by a bias towards the animal kingdom. Concepts like teleology or agency, individuality, and behavior have often been shaped and philosophically examined with a focus on multicellular animals. However, in recent years, there has been a noticeable shift in science and society at large towards a more serious consideration of plants and their unique characteristics. This “vegetal turn” is propelled by an increasing number of scholars, who no longer view plants as passive and inert objects but as active, communicative, and agential subjects that shape their surroundings and engage in various environmental relationships. This shift is accompanied by debates on concepts like plant intelligence, as well as on the advantages and dangers of anthropomorphizing plants. Simultaneously, in this vegetal turn, plants take center stage in the face of global environmental challenges like climate change or environmental pollution.
The first part of the seminar will focus on the history of the philosophy of plants, which can be traced back as far back as Aristotle and Theophrastus. We will then examine how different biological concepts – like teleology, organization, individuality, sexuality, cognition – play out in the plant world, what theoretical and methodological problems they trigger and how scholars have dealt with them. Lastly, we will look at other aspects of the philosophy of plants, like plant ethics and the emerging field of critical plant studies.
In the seminar, publications covering the history of philosophy and current debates in philosophy of science will be read and discussed. To pass the course, students must participate in the preliminary meeting, actively partake in the discussions, and conduct a presentation (or take other course activities). No particular knowledge in biology is required. Depending on the participants the seminar can be held in English and/or German.