Universität Wien

180184 PS Leibniz' Scientia Generalis (2023W)

Unity of science from the spirit of philosophy

4.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Continuous assessment of course work

Hinweis der SPL Philosophie:

Das Abgeben von ganz oder teilweise von einem KI-tool (z.B. ChatGPT) verfassten Texten als Leistungsnachweis (z.B. Seminararbeit) ist nur dann erlaubt, wenn dies von der Lehrveranstaltungsleitung ausdrücklich als mögliche Arbeitsweise genehmigt wurde. Auch hierbei müssen direkt oder indirekt zitierte Textstellen wie immer klar mit Quellenangabe ausgewiesen werden.

Die Lehrveranstaltungsleitung kann zur Überprüfung der Autorenschaft einer abgegebenen schriftlichen Arbeit ein notenrelevantes Gespräch (Plausibilitätsprüfung) vorsehen, das erfolgreich zu absolvieren ist.
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 45 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

no comments

Wednesday 11.10. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday 18.10. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday 25.10. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday 08.11. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday 15.11. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday 22.11. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday 29.11. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday 06.12. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday 13.12. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday 10.01. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday 17.01. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday 24.01. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday 31.01. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

The project of a general science ("Scientia Generalis") shows Leibniz's understanding of what philosophy is and has to achieve as a whole, in connection with all individual sciences as well as with human practice. The claim of universality and generality made by this early form of unified science allows Leibniz to draw a maximum thematic arc that affects all areas of life and knowledge. It ranges from the logical foundations of a formal universal language (characteristica universalis) through the basic questions of metaphysics (first philosophy) to the shaping of public happiness (felicitas publica). Bringing all this together in a reasonable mode of theory and handling is Leibniz's answer to the question of what can be binding about philosophy at all, and leads beyond a mere encyclopaedia, but also shows current syndromes such as basic research, information society or knowledge society as problematic on. How this generality (generalitas; universalitas; universitas) can be claimed by philosophy and how this is expressed in Leibniz is to be understood in this seminar.

In a narrower sense, Leibniz' general science deals with three directions:
(1) On the one hand, about the theory of science and the philosophy of science question of how different types of science (e.g. natural, social and human sciences; formal and real sciences) can be delimited, reconciled and based.
(2) on the other hand, about their relationship to (social and personal) practice, such as the use of the sciences to promote happiness (felicitas publica).
(3) thirdly, however, about the combination and justification of these intentions: about their metaphysical-logical foundation.
Leibniz's explanations on the "Characteristica universalis" as a formal language therefore represent an important, fundamental (but by no means exhaustive) part of general science, and the fundamental considerations on the "logical calculus" (Fundamenta calculi logici) also go in this direction, from which both in the seminar and individual fragments will be read as well.

Assessment and permitted materials

Active participation, partly group work, written work at the end.
The SE can be credited for both the Bachelor's and the Master's section.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

[1] Knowledge of the conception of Leibniz` Scientia Generalis; [2] understanding of the intentions that Leibniz associated with it; [3] Understanding of the philosophical problems that result from this comprehensive conception: foundation problems, agreement of theory and practice, connection or relationship of science-art-politics-religion-ethics-technology, role of philosophy (first philosophy) as a basic discipline for the methodologically different individual sciences, relationship between logic and ontology, relationship between natural philosophy-social philosophy-philosophy of the spirit. [4] In addition, [5] the contextualization in a current frame of reference should be conveyed.

Examination topics

Individual pieces of text from the early to later phase are read, presented and discussed by the participants independently. The lecturers explain historical contexts (cf. Bacon, Lullus, Comenius, Alsted, Weigel, Zabarella) and provide translations or translation aids for the texts in the original language.

Since the SG is not complete either in the Gerhardt edition (Phil. Schr. Vol. 7) or in the unfinished Academy edition, a supplementary combination of the seminar with the parallel excursion seminar "Experiencing Leibniz - Understanding Leibniz" for the purpose of viewing archive material makes a lot of sense. In the excursion seminar, unpublished texts on the Scientia Generalis in the Leibniz Archive in Hanover can and should also be processed.
The material should be worked through in blocks (2 weeks) in the form of group work; Participation through presentations, smaller exercises and participation in discussions; final written work. When reading the fragments on the Scientia Generalis, the participants should also include independent suggestions for a text selection that should make an overall outline of the comprehensive content visible.

Reading list

Die Texte werden im Einzelnen noch bekannt gegeben und ab September teilweise ins Moodle gestellt.
Sie stammen im Wesentlichen aus Leibniz:
-- Scientia Generalis. Characteristica. In: Die philosophischen Schriften. Hrsg. von C. I. Gerhardt, Bd. 7 [1890]. Repr. Hildesheim: Olms 1960, S. 43-247
-- Sämtliche Schriften und Briefe (Akademieausgabe = AA) Bd.VI.4 (Teil A und B, Auswahl, u.a. die Texte unter dem Pseudonym "Wilhelm Pacidius"),
auch online: http://www.uni-muenster.de/Leibniz/bd_6_4_2009.html:
-- Opuscules et Fragments inédits. Extraits des manuscrits de la Bibliothèque royale de Hanovre. Hrsg. von Louis Couturat. Paris 1903
-- Die Grundlagen des logischen Kalküls/Fundamenta calculi logici. Lat.-dt. Hrsg., übersetzt und mit Einleitung und Kommentar versehen von Franz Schupp und Stephanie Weber. Hamburg: Meiner 2000 (= PhB 525) (Nachdruck 2013)
-- Geschichte als Wiederkehr des Gleichen? Das Apokatastasis-Fragment (1715). In: Leibniz: Schriften und Briefe zur Geschichte. Bearbeitet, kommentiert und hrsg. von Malte-Ludolf Babin und Gerd van den Heuvel. Hannover: Hahnsche Buchhandlung 2004 (= Veröffentlichungen der Historischen Kommission für Niedersachsen und Bremen 218), S. 550-561

Unveröffentlichte Materialien zur Scientia Generalis siehe Begleitseminar (Exkursion Hannover).

Sekundärliteratur wird zu Semesterbeginn am 9. Oktober im Detail bekannt gegeben (M. Friedman 2010, Gaukroger 2010, H.H. Holz 2013, Moll 1978, Poser ²2010, Schepers 1989 und 1999, M. Schneider 2011, Zehetner 2007 u.a.)
Handapparat sowie Moodle mit relevanten Materialien wird eingerichtet.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Th 28.09.2023 17:07