Aristotle's Dynamic Philosophy of Nature -D. Sfendoni-Mentzou-Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW)

"Aristotle's Dynamic Philosophy of Nature and its Relevance Today," by Demetra Sfendoni-Mentzou, invited speaker for the "2023 LEIBNIZ LECTURE" of the AUSTRIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
The event was under the patronage of UNESCO - Austrian National Commission
November 16, 2023
WELCOME
Ulrike Diebold / Vice-President of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
Claudia Isep / Deputy Secretary General of the Austrian Commission for UNESCO
INTRODUCTION AND MODERATION OF Q&A:
Herta Nagl-Docekal /Austrian Academy of Sciences and University of Vienna
Austrian Academy of Sciences
Theatersaal
Sonnenfelsgasse 19
1010 Vienna
The LEIBNIZ LECTURES as part of the Academy Lectures of the OeAW refer to the fact that Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz presented the Emperor with the first plans for a “Society of Sciences in Vienna” during his work in Vienna from 1712 to 1714. Scholars who have achieved international recognition, not just within their discipline, and their research demonstrates the differentiation potential of philosophy, both for interdisciplinary understanding and for dealing with publicly relevant issues of the present.
ABSTRACT
Aristotle’s Philosophy of Nature has been underestimated for centuries. His Physics was considered by the protagonists of the “Scientific Revolution” as a sterile system; the idea that there is no place for an Aristotelian perspective in Science was, subsequently, reinforced by the development of Newtonian Mechanics. Against this traditional view, I will try to show, that Aristotle’s conception of Nature is one of his most fruitful ideas, and that the insights gained from Aristotle’s work are becoming increasingly relevant to contemporary Science. I will, further, argue, that, in light of the impressive discoveries in numerous fields of science, especially in Physics, a closer look at Aristotle’s work will reveal that the Stageirite has built a dynamic model of nature, which is much closer than Newtonian Physics to the new scientific image of Nature emerging today. At the same time, Aristotle’s insights on the interrelation of all disciplines and the unity of knowledge can strengthen the growing need for a re-unification of the various sciences through an interdisciplinary approach.
MORE: www.dikam.auth.gr