5 minutes
Reflections on the natural world go back to the origins of thought and have been one of the branches of philosophy that contributed most to the development of the modern world. Let’s see it in detail.
The philosophy of nature, also called natural philosophy, refers to the philosophical reflection on the natural and physical world in which we are immersed. In this way, its objects of study are inanimate entities (planets, stars, natural phenomena, physical-chemical components of matter, etc.) and living beings.
Its origin dates back to the dawn of the history of thought, when primitive man struggled to understand nature. At that time, the human being was amazed at the grandeur and harmony of the universe; he marveled at the constant repetition of natural cycles; and he feared the uncontrollable power of natural phenomena.
From there and throughout history, a variety of theories and explanations about the physical world have emerged, which have contributed to its understanding and mastery by humans. Below we detail what this branch of philosophy consists of and how it has contributed to the evolution of modern society.
Origin of natural philosophy
As we said, the origin of natural philosophy goes back to the first reflections and explanations about the physical world, whose first records date back to antiquity. We have the explanatory theories of Thales of Miletus -the first natural philosopher- and other renowned thinkers such as Anaximander, Anaximenes, Pythagoras, Plato and Aristotle.
Natural philosophy was characterized by establishing the origin and constitution of natural beings. In this sense, there was a spontaneous and naive dialectical interpretation of nature, in which everything that makes up the physical world was concatenated and alive.
In this age Nature was understood as a permanent and primordial substance that is maintained through the incessant changes of natural beings. Likewise, the origin of the world used to be explained starting from concrete objects (such as water), which they called arche (beginning).
Evolution
Later, in medieval times, the philosophy of nature was based on the adaptation of certain Aristotelian cosmological principles to the geocentric image of the world. For example, nature was conceived as a universal, self-sufficient organism, a unified system of omnipresent forces animated by a cosmic soul in which the distinction between the living (spirit) and the non-living (matter) loses its meaning.
Thus, everything is assumed to be alive, therefore, things within the organism do not happen because some non-natural being intervenes in it.
Then, during the modern age, the philosophers of the time begin a fight against the scholastic view of nature and defend a more scientific view. Diverse and profound rationalist, empiricist, materialist and dialectical explanations were developed.
In this sense, modern natural philosophers are neither scientists nor humanists, but somewhere in between, mixing a bit of everything. That is to say, during this period we can notice ideas that favor speculation, but we also find thoughts that defend experimentation.
Finally, in contemporary times, the philosophy of nature has not been replaced by the natural sciences or by natural theology. It continues to develop its specificity in various sectors that distance themselves both from scientism and from the doctrines of the supernatural.
One of these spaces is Circle of Philosophy of Nature, founded in 2008 by Miguel Espinoza, from the University of Strasbourg. Among the problems dealt with are the continuity of science to metaphysics, the relationship between mathematics and the sensible world, the different aspects of causality in science and its relationship with determinism and freedom.
main exponents
Listing all the philosophers who have focused on understanding nature is an arduous task. Therefore, we will only limit ourselves to presenting some of the authors who led to the emergence of natural philosophy:
- Thales of Miletus (624 BC – 546 BC): He was the first to affirm that the earth was circular and stated that water is the principle of universal life. Likewise, he was the one who divided the year into seasons and 365 days.
- Anaximander (610 BC – 546 BC): argued that the universe and nature are shaped by the apeirón or small particles of indeterminate matter that are infinite. Likewise, he was the first to postulate that life is generated in water and that organisms regenerate and evolve by adapting to their environments.
- Anaximenes (born between 615 BC and 590 BC – 525 BC): he was the first to introduce the idea of periodicity into cosmology, which alludes to the incessant movement of the cosmos. In addition, he spoke of the expansion and condensation of matter by the heat and cold of the air.
- Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC): brought together everything said above, giving answers to the big questions raised by the presocratics, especially regarding the problem of movement. It also has abundant writings on plants, stars and animals.
Impact of the philosophy of nature on the evolution of society
The emergence and development of natural philosophy has undoubtedly been one of the fundamental aspects for understanding the world in which we live. Thanks to her, the human being has acquired a relative dominion and objective knowledge about the physical.
This has allowed it to prevent and cure diseases, reduce the impact of natural disasters, produce more food for the population and develop mechanisms and technologies to increase quality of life.
In addition, the philosophy of nature has helped us understand ourselves as a species and has provided theories about the origin of the entire universe. These answers, although not definitive, give meaning and purpose to existence.
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