Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker: Major Texts in Philosophy (SpringerBriefs on Pioneers in Science and Practice Book 23)

This book presents a collection of texts by the German philosopher and physicist Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker (1912-2007), for use in seminars on philosophy, mainly epistemology and the philosophy of physics or foundations of quantum mechanics, but also for courses on German philosophy of the 20th century or the philosophy of science. Most texts appear in English for the first time. Weizsäcker became famous through his works in physics, later becoming well known as a philosopher and an analyst of contemporary culture and politics. He worked intensively on projects for the prevention of nuclear war and for peace in general.  � Texts about classical philosophy are included as well as on logic, on the philosophy of biology and on the philosophy of mathematics, on "death" as well as on "power".-- Provided by Publisher Other Books on Carl Friedrich von WeizsäckerPublished in this Book Series by Springer 6 Acknowledgments and Sources 8 Contents 10 1 Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker: Major Texts in Philosophy---A Brief Introduction by the Editor 14 References 23 2 Preliminary Epistemological Considerations 24 2.1...Similes for the Structure of Physics 24 2.2...Cognition 27 2.3...Doubt 29 2.4...Faith 33 2.5...Methodological Consequences 36 Reference 40 3 A Description of Physics 42 3.1...The Role of Physics 42 3.2...An Anecdote as an Eye Catcher 43 3.3...A Historical Example 45 3.4...Philosophy of Physics 46 3.4.1 Theological Platonism 46 3.4.2 The World as Mechanism 48 3.4.3 Empiricism as a Description of Physics 49 3.4.4 Difficulties of Fundamental Empiricism 51 3.4.5 Scientific Perception 54 References 56 4 Time: Physics---Metaphysics 58 4.1...Metaphysics 58 4.2...Physics 62 4.3...Evolution 65 4.4...Culture 68 5 Biological Preliminaries to Logic 74 5.1ƒThe Question 74 5.2ƒThe Place of Logic 76 5.3ƒPractical Interpretation of the Bivalence of Logic 77 5.4ƒThe Basis of the Subject-Predicate Structure of Sentences 81 Reference 86 6 Models of Health and Illness, Good and Evil, Truth and Falseness 88 6.1...Health 89 6.2...Illness 93 6.3...Progress 95 6.4...Good and Evil 97 6.5...Truth 99 References 102 7 Parmenides and the Graylag Goose 103 7.1...What This Essay Is About 104 7.2...The Idea of the Graylag Goose 108 7.3...The Form in Things and as Thought 110 7.4...Form as Example 117 References 120 8 Parmenides and Quantum Theory 121 8.1...What Does the Unity of Nature Mean? 121 8.2...A Digression: How Can One Read the Philosophers? 124 8.3...What Were Parmenides and Plato Talking About? 127 8.4...The First Hypothesis of the Platonic Parmenides and Quantum Theory 131 8.5...The Approach to the Second Hypothesis 137 References 138 9 Possibility and Movement: A Note on Aristotelian Physics 139 References 149 10 The Rationality of Emotions 151 10.1ƒThe Concept of Interest 151 10.2ƒPlace and Action (Possession, Domination, Power) 153 10.3ƒLove 156 10.4ƒInsight 158 10.5ƒValues 162 10.6ƒThe Enlightenment 165 10.7ƒWorld Peace and Self-realization 166 11 On Power 171 11.1...The School of Political Realism 171 11.2...Biological Anthropology 174 11.2.1 Evolutionist Thinking 174 11.2.2 The Structure of Instincts in Humans and Animals 175 11.2.3 Stabilization in Inequality Through Selection 177 11.2.4 What Is Power? 178 Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker Society 182 Carl Friedrich von WeizsäckerFoundation 184 Federation of German Scientists 186 Udo Keller Stiftung Forum Humanum 188 Ruhr University Bochum 190 About the Author 192 About the Editor 196 About the Book 198 Front Matter....Pages i-xiv Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker: Major Texts in Philosophy—A Brief Introduction by the Editor....Pages 1-10 Preliminary Epistemological Considerations....Pages 11-27 A Description of Physics....Pages 28-43 Time: Physics—Metaphysics....Pages 44-59 Biological Preliminaries to Logic....Pages 60-73 Models of Health and Illness, Good and Evil, Truth and Falseness....Pages 74-89 Parmenides and the Graylag Goose....Pages 91-108 Parmenides and Quantum Theory....Pages 109-126 Possibility and Movement: A Note on Aristotelian Physics....Pages 127-137 The Rationality of Emotions....Pages 138-157 On Power....Pages 158-169 Back Matter....Pages 171-187