In the year of commemoration of Charles Darwin, the question of life is more relevant than ever before. What is life? When can an organism, such as a human being, be said to be alive? Advanced medical techniques have enlarged the accessibility of life’s secrets. The discovery of DNA, for example, represents to many scientists the promise of the future unravelling of the core structure of life itself. This promise may remind us of medieval legends about rabbis supposed to have produced a living being (a golem) by simply pronouncing the secret codes of creation.
In this seminar, we will focus on some vitalistic theories – all too often neglected in contemporary debates – that speculate about (if not defend) the essence of life in a context highly dominated by Darwinism and Lamarckism.
How do these theories try to do justice to what they consider as ‘life’ or the ‘living’?
How do they distinguish life from the mere inorganic?
Are metaphysical concepts such as ‘entelechy’, élan vital, ‘morphogenetic field’, or even ‘soul’, useful here?
Can vitalistic approaches shed light on contemporary debates as to life’s beginning, end and intrinsic value?
In short, to what degree are these approaches still viable?
This viability will be expressly tested finally by closely examining the case of defective newborn children.
Subjects:
Survey of the seminar:
September, 8th. Introduction: Life Quality. Peter Singer and Warren T. Reich, ‘Life’, in: Warren T. Reich (ed.), Encyclopedia of Bioethics, London/New York, MacMillan Publishers, 1978 (text to be distributed by course instructor).
September, 15th. The Existence of the Soul. Plotinus, Enneads, I,1; I,7; IV,1-2
September, 22nd. The Individual Soul and the World Soul. Plotinus, Enneads, IV, 3-5
September, 29th. Memory and Immortality of the Soul. Plotinus, Enneads, IV, 6-9
October, 6th. Consciousness as a Perturbation of Life. Ludwig Klages, Der Geist als Widersacher der Seele, III. Buch: ‚Bewusstsein und Erlebnis’. 1. Abschnitt ‚Das Bewusstsein als Lebensstörung’. For an alternative reading in English, see here and here.
October, 15th. Life as a Mirror. Ludwig Klages, Der Geist als Widersacher der Seele, III. Buch: ‚Bewusstsein und Erlebnis’. 2. Abschnitt, ‘Vom spiegelnden Schauen’; 3. Abschnitt, ‚Die seelischen Grundlagen des Bewußtseins’, Chs. 34-36
October, 26th. Life and Communication. Ludwig Klages, Der Geist als Widersacher der Seele, III. Buch: ‚Bewusstsein und Erlebnis’. 3. Abschnitt, ‚Die seelischen Grundlagen des Bewußtseins’, Chs. 37-40.
November, 3rd. Entelechy and Causality. Hans Driesch, Philosophie des Organischen, Abteilung B: Philosophie des Organischen: Einleitende Bemerkungen; Teil I: Die indirekte Rechtfertigung der Entelechielehre, A. Entelechie und eindeutige Bestimmtheit – B. Entelechie und Kausalität (pp. 391-494) Trans.: Science and Philosophy of the Organism. The Gifford Lectures Delivered Before the University of Aberdeen Vol. II, London, Black, 1908, pp. 125-237). (here or to be distributed by course instructor)
November, 10th. Entelechy and Substantiality. Hans Driesch, Philosophie des Organischen, Abteilung B: Philosophie des Organischen: Teil I: Die indirekte Rechtfertigung der Entelechielehre, C. Entelechie und Substanz – Teil II: Die direkte Rechtfertigung der Entelechielehre (pp.495-556; trans. pp. 238-338). (En. trans. here or to be distributed by course instructor)
November, 17th. Beyond Individual Life. Hans Driesch, Philosophie des Organischen, Abteilung B: Philosophie des Organischen: Teil III: Die Überpersönlichkeitsprobleme – Teil IV: Metaphysische Ausblicke (pp. 557-599; trans. pp. 340-376). (En. trans. here or to be distributed by course instructor)
November, 24th. Euthanasia and the Newborn I. Earl E. Shelp, ‘Choosing among evils’ & Marvin Kohl, ‘Moral Arguments for and against maximally treating the defective newborn’, in: Richard C. McMillan, H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr. and Stuart F. Spicker (eds.), Euthanasia and the Newborn. Conflicts Regarding Saving Lives, Dordrecht/Boston/Lancaster/Tokyo, D. Reidel Publishing Company, 1987, pp. 211-252 (to be distributed by course instructor).
December, 1st. Euthanasia and the Newborn II. Richard C. McMillan, ‘Ancient admonitions and the sanctity of personhood’, in: Richard C. McMillan, H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr. and Stuart F. Spicker (eds.), Euthanasia and the Newborn. Conflicts Regarding Saving Lives, Dordrecht/Boston/Lancaster/Tokyo, D. Reidel Publishing Company, 1987, pp. 253-270 (to be distributed by course instructor).
Method of instruction
The participants of the seminar prepare themselves weekly by reading very carefully the texts that have been placed at their disposal beforehand, and by accomplishing several assignments. Those who read German will have to read the original text!
Examination
Weekly participation in and preparation for the courses is indispensable. The seminar has to be concluded by a written paper, containing 5-10 pages.
The paper will have to be centered on some crucial or telling passage taken from one of the texts discussed. This passage will have to be considered and commented upon scrupulously. These are the criteria of evaluation:
- originality and consistency of the argument
- attested capability of integrating elements from the other texts into the argument
- attested capability of actualizing the argument by referring to existing discussions and burning issues of today
Required reading
Reading assignments:
Although texts may be available on the internet, students may wish to procure one or more books themselves. For antiquarian books, see www.eurobuch.com, www.antiqbook.com, www.zvab.de or www.amazon.com. New: www.proxis.be. These are the relevant titles :
o Plotinus, Enneaden, vert. en inleiding Rein Ferwerda, Budel, Damon, 2005. Several English, French and German translations available.
o Ludwig Klages, Der Geist als Widersacher der Seele, Bonn, Bouvier Verlag, 2008 (1929-1932). ISBN-10: 3416031466, ISBN-13: 978-3416031462 (Sämtliche Werke Bd. I-II) Many copies available on www.eurobuch.com).
Admission
A satisfying knowledge of the history of philosophy, particularly of moral philosophy, is required and indispensable. This seminar is open to both master and bachelor students. Assignments can be reduced for BA-students.
Comments
*This course is part of the MA Religious Studies, Religion, Science and Ethics: Philosophicl Approaches’. It is also open to students of other Masters and Bachelor students. Assignments can be reduced for Ba-students. *The course will be taught in English except when all participants have a working knowledge of Dutch. Please register before 15 August by e-mail (h.w.sneller@religion.leidenuniv.nl) or telephone (071-527 25 83)!