Kant's Dynamic theory of matter
International Conference
Kant’s Dynamic Theory of Matter
7-8 March 2024
Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
In-person conference
Over the last few decades, scholars have made great advances in clarifying issues in Kant’s theory of matter as exposed in the Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science (MAN). Such issues include Kant’s accounts of the forces of matter, space-filling and mass; the dynamical and mechanical conceptions of matter and their respective laws; the role and scope of ‘construction’ in natural science; the phoronomical concept of motion and its role in matter theory; the applicability of mathematics to physical bodies; the regulative idea of absolute space; and the relationship between the 1786 work and the Critiques. Following the publication of McNulty (Ed.), Kant's Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science: A Critical Guide (2022), now is a good time to take stock and identify where further progress can be made in understanding and assessing Kant’s dynamic theory of matter, either by deepening existing debates or opening new areas of investigation.
Organizers: stephen.howard@kuleuven.be ; henny.blomme@ulb.be
REGISTRATION
Please click here and submit the completed form to register for the conference.
Day 1 (7March)
9.00 Coffee and registration
9.15 Welcome remarks (Henny Blomme & Stephen Howard)
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Chair: Karin de Boer |
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9.30-10.30 Helmut Pulte (Ruhr Universität Bochum) From the True Estimation to the Metaphysical Foundations. Some Genetic Aspects of Kant's Dynamic Theory of Matter 10.45-11.45 Valtteri Viljanen (University of Turku) Physical Monadology and Force Plenarism in Kant 12.00-13.00 Paolo Pecere (Università degli Studi Roma Tre) The Turn in Kant's Dynamics and its Motivations |
13.00-14.30 Lunch (provided)
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Chair: Arnaud Pelletier |
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14.30-15.30 Henny Blomme (Université libre de Bruxelles) Kant’s Dynamics and the Problem of Infinite Divisibility 15.45-16.45 Farhad Alavi (University of Edinburgh) Kant’s Metaphysical Foundations of Dynamics and the Problematic Construction of a Moving Force 17.00-18.00 Kristina Engelhard (Universität Trier) Kant’s Proof of Dynamism in the General Remark to the Dynamics |
19.00 Conference dinner
Day 2 (8 March)
9.00 Coffee
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Chair: Luis Fellipe Garcia |
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9.30-10.30 Marius Stan (Boston College) Kant’s Balance Argument: Structure and Warrant 10.45-11.45 Laura Pelegrin (Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET) and Affection and Influx of Matter 12.00-13.00 Daniel Warren (University of California, Berkeley) Title TBA |
13.00-14.30 Lunch (provided)
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Chair: Ovidiu Babeș |
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14.30-15.30 Stephen Howard (KU Leuven) How Are the Derivative Forces Derived? 15.45-16.45 L. Edward Allore (University of Western Ontario) Kant on the Inconceivability of Substantial Change 17.00-18.00 Daniel Sutherland (University of Illinois, Chicago) Pure Construction in the Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science |
Closing remarks
Supported by "Responses to Newton's Mathematical-Experimental Paradigm in Eighteenth-Century Philosophy" (RENEW18), an Excellence of Science project (EOS 0.0034.22F) funded by the FWO and F.R.S.-FNRS (dir. K. de Boer, S. Ducheyne, and A. Pelletier) and by the British Society for the History of Philosophy (https://bshp.org.uk/)"