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Naturalizing phenomenology - A philosophical imperative
1The University of Melbourne, Australia.
Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology
|August 15, 2015
Summary
Phenomenology can offer a non-reductionist scientific approach by reconceptualizing nature to include meaning and mind. This philosophical naturalism, integrating insights from Merleau-Ponty and C.S. Peirce, critiques scientism for a more inclusive scientific inquiry.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Science
- Phenomenology
- Cognitive Science
- Biosemiotics
Background:
- Historically, phenomenology has maintained a complex relationship with empirical science, often critiquing its methods and assumptions.
- Recent neuroscience and phenomenological scholarship on embodied cognition and ontology of nature offer new avenues for interdisciplinary engagement.
- Conventional mechanistic science faces limitations in addressing complex phenomena like climate change and collective behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate how phenomenological naturalism can foster a non-reductionist and non-scientistic approach to scientific inquiry.
- To explore the convergence of Maurice Merleau-Ponty's and Charles Sanders Peirce's philosophies for a reconceptualized understanding of nature.
- To re-evaluate the relationship between phenomenology and science, moving beyond early critiques of scientism.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Merleau-Ponty's later ontology of nature and C.S. Peirce's philosophy of science, particularly his theory of signs (semiotics).
- Application of Peirce-inspired biosemiotics to biological processes to articulate Merleau-Ponty's concept of intentional relations as semiotic relations.
- Comparative examination of Merleau-Ponty's 'ontology of flesh' and Peirce's naturalism to identify ontological affinities.
Main Results:
- Merleau-Ponty's concept of intentionality in nature can be philosophically grounded in semiotic relations, providing a basis for non-reductive biological science.
- Both Merleau-Ponty and Peirce advocate for a relational, dynamic ontology that includes meaning, possibility, and temporality, contrasting with positivistic science.
- Peirce's broader scientific metaphysics extends Merleau-Ponty's phenomenological naturalism to physical sciences, validating an inclusive ontology for empirical research.
Conclusions:
- Phenomenological naturalism, informed by Merleau-Ponty and Peirce, offers a robust philosophical framework for a more inclusive and less reductionist scientific inquiry.
- Reconceptualizing nature to encompass meaning and mind, as proposed by Merleau-Ponty and Peirce, is crucial for overcoming the limitations of conventional science.
- The integration of phenomenological insights with scientific methods can lead to a richer understanding of natural processes and challenge underlying scientistic assumptions.
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