Concept of Nature in Kant, Schelling, and Hegel

The concept of nature is at the very foundation of Kant’s, Schelling’s and Hegel’s endeavor to develop a philosophical account of nature which is meant to complement science. This volume focuses on how their respective conceptions of nature deal with the fact that both nature and our attitudes towards it are diverse. The diversity of nature is manifest in the multiplicity of sciences of nature such as physics, chemistry, and biology, while the diversity of our attitudes towards nature is evident in our relating to nature theoretically, practically and aesthetically, for instance. Both kinds of diversity raise the question of unity which is at the heart of this volume. It investigates Kant’s, Schelling’s and Hegel’s philosophical attempts to develop a unified conception of nature while doing justice to its diversity. The collection thus sheds light on a pressing problem of our times, namely how to unify our various attitudes towards nature in a sustainable manner. By addressing the conceptual foundations of Kant’s, Schelling’s, and Hegel’s philosophies of nature, the volume helps to reevaluate the full scope, the unity and the contemporary significance of classical German philosophy of nature.