Philosophers and scientists debate new knowledge on nature

On 8 October, the conference hall of the Faculty of Philosophy and Arts of the UAB will be hosting the second part of the 10th International Ontology Congress, which will bring together prominent figures from the worlds of science and philosophy, such as Nobel Laureate in Physics, Frank Wilczek.

02/10/2012

Some two hundred researchers in philosophy, physics, genetics and palaeontology will be meeting in the congress entitled "Physis. From Elementary Particles to Human Nature". The congress was organised by the departments of philosophy of the UAB and of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), with funding from UNESCO. From 1 to 6 October to congress will take place in San Sebastian, and on 8 and 9 October, experts will be meeting at the UAB Faculty of Philosophy and Arts and at the Centre of Contemporary Culture in Barcelona (Carrer Montalegre 5, Barcelona).

We live in a world of atoms, electrons, photons, neutrons, neutrinos... and now also Higgs' bosons and quantum teleportation (as seen in recent experiments conducted in the Canary Islands). Some of the observations of contemporary physics represent a real challenge for human understanding, since they refute the ideas forged around the mechanisms and laws that rule the world. Thus, physics itself points towards this Meta-physics (reflection after physics) based on contemporary natural science.

These facts nonetheless pose new questions on nature in general and on human nature in particular. And so contemporary science opens a new door in fundamental philosophy. This year, the International Ontology Congress intends to tackle these problems with the help of eminent philosophers and scientists, given that disciplines such as genetics and neurobiology play an important role in the formation of this new natural philosophy.

On 8 October, the conference hall of the UAB Faculty of Philosophy and Arts will host two of the congress' main conferences. At 10 am, Frank Wilczek, Noble Laureate in Physics 2004, will talk on "The Human Context of Science". At noon, geneticist Francisco J. Ayala, National Medal of Sciences (USA) 2001, will give a speech entitled "Dos Revoluciones: Copérnico y Darwin".

A new Natural Philosophy

Since its first edition in 1993, the International Ontology Congress has been debating the state of key questions in philosophy contemplated under the light of contemporary reflections. The essential part of the congress consists in the concern for setting the bases of a natural philosophy that recovers questions about physis (nature) posed by Greek philosophers, with the contributions of several current disciplines in natural science: quantum mechanics, genetics, palaeontology, etc. For this reason, the organisation's International Science Committee includes not only philosophers, by also prominent figures in the fields of contemporary sciences and arts.

More information: 10th International Ontology Congress