New Perspectives on Neo-Kantianism and the Sciences (Routledge Studies in Nineteenth-Century Philosophy)

This volume considers the exchange between the Neo-Kantian tradition in German philosophy and the sciences from the last third of the nineteenth century to the Great war and partly beyond. During this period, various scientific disciplines underwent modernisation processes characterised by an increasing empirical inclination and a decline in the influence of metaphysics, the pluralisation of theories, and the historical and pragmatic revitalisation of scientific claims against philosophy. The various contributions look at the ways in which a certain ‘Kantian orthodoxy’ was influenced by these new developments and whether (and how) itself had some impact on the development of the sciences. The volume is not limited to the 'exact sciences' of mathematics and physics, which are particularly important for the Kantian tradition, but also takes into account less recognised disciplines such as biology, chemistry, technology and psychology. It is complemented by contributions that contrast Neo-Kantianism with other 'scientific philosophies' of the period in question. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Acknowledgements List of Contributors and Editors Editors’ Introduction: Neo-Kantianism and the Sciences Part I: Mathematics 1 (Neo-)Kantian Foundation of Foundations: The Göttingen Case 2 Cassirer on the Concept of Number: A Neo-Kantian Perspective on Dedekindian Abstraction 3 From Magnitudes to Real Numbers. Cantor’s and Dedekind’s Number Extensions and their Reception in the Marburg School of Neo-Kantianism Part II: Physics 4 Clouds over Classical Physics? Neo-Kantian Perspectives on Kant’s Ideal of Physics as the Fundamental Empirical Science 5 Kurd Lasswitz, the Marburg School, and the Problem of Individuality in Physics 6 Hermann von Helmholtz on the Unification of Science Part III: Chemistry and Technology 7 Physical and Chemical Atomism. Helmholtz and Cassirer on Chemical Classifications 8 Cassirer on the Construction of Concepts in Chemistry 9 Technology in Neo-Kantianism between Theory and Practice. A First Insight Part IV: Biology 10 Philosophy of Biology in Neo-Kantianism 11 The Impact of Kantian Philosophy on Organic Form: Teleology, Organism, and Material Properties in Early Twentieth-Century Morphology 12 From Kant to Holism: The Decline of Neo-Kantianism and the Rise of Theoretical Biology Part V: Psychology 13 The Problem of Psychology in Neo-Kantianism: On the Relevance of Richard Hönigswald 14 Descriptive or Reconstructive Psychology. On Natorp’s Critique of Dilthey Part VI: The Context of Other ‘Scientific Philosophies’ 15 Systems after the Systems – ‘Cosmic’ Texts and Integrative Practices in Neo-Kantian Contexts 16 ‘Critique de la Science’ in France: Conventionalism or/and Neo-Kantianism in Geometry? 17 Factum and Region: Neo-Kantian and Phenomenological Paradigms for a Philosophy of Science Name Index