Nature and Naturalism: The Relevance of Classical German Philosophy

This chapter maps current scholarly debates on nature and naturalism in Classical German Philosophy. Whereas the period between Kant and Hegel is generally recognized as an inspiring source for contemporary concerns in areas such as social and political philosophy, it seemed until recently that it was not of much help for developing persuasive ways of conceiving the natural. Many scholars have begun to contest this standard narrative. The chapter identifies four thematic focal points in contemporary scholarship that testify to a new appreciation of philosophical conceptualizations of nature in the post-Kantian tradition: Naturalism, Anti-Naturalism, Supernaturalism; Life and Living Entities; Nature and Normativity; Second Nature. Against the background of current debates, the chapter gives an overview of the essays in the collection.