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Reasoning in Life: Values and Normativity in Georges Canguilhem
1Department of Philosophy and Education Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
International Journal for the Semiotics of Law = Revue Internationale De Semiotique Juridique
|November 26, 2020
Summary
Georges Canguilhem
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Science
- Philosophy of Biology
- History of Philosophy
Background:
- Explores Georges Canguilhem's philosophy of norms.
- Situates Canguilhem's vitalism as a perspective, not a metaphysical theory.
- Introduces 'normativity' as a central concept for understanding life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze Canguilhem's concept of normativity.
- To demonstrate how normativity extends the concept of life beyond biology.
- To re-evaluate human reason within a vitalistic, value-laden framework.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical analysis of Canguilhem's writings.
- Conceptual examination of vitalism and normativity.
- Interdisciplinary approach linking biology, social phenomena, and epistemology.
Main Results:
- Vitalism, for Canguilhem, is an axiological perspective centered on normativity.
- Normativity allows for an expanded understanding of life, including social and technical domains.
- Human reason is redefined in relation to values and norms, not as an abstract faculty.
Conclusions:
- Canguilhem's philosophy of norms offers a vitalistic reinterpretation of life and reason.
- This perspective integrates biological, social, and cognitive phenomena under the umbrella of normativity.
- The study highlights the interconnectedness of life, values, and rationality in Canguilhem's thought.
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