Philosophy

176 pages, 2020, Ayrıntı, 2nd print

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Full English translation available

In the last few years, the well-known debates between realist and anti-realist accounts of philosophical ontology have experienced a big change both regarding content and context. “What is real?” or “what is the nature of reality?” are no longer questions that exclusively concern academic philosophers. Unexpected rise of populism, climate change and so-called triumph of post-truth seem to invite all intellectuals around the world to respond to this public call for reconsidering our basic assumptions about the reality.

This, in a sense, is a return of ontology. The number of books, scholarly articles, and academic courses on “non-anthropocentric realism in philosophy” show a steady increase. Yet the challenge persists. New ontologies and their distinct perspectives are still far from shaping a new canon. All this makes the topic an ongoing-open focus, where one is always in need of new approaches, new concepts, new ways of thinking through suggestions. Naturans: Towards a new ontology should be considered as a humble new resource to help us meet this increasing demand.

Naturans is an output of long research on philosophical ontology, one which particularly focuses on new realism from Spinozistic perspectives.

It aims at contributing to ongoing vivid debates in ontological realism by introducing a fresh look through some Spinozist notions such as immanence, non-anthropocentrism, non-teleology, and affectivity. Based on these notions, Naturans is an attempt to reconsider the nature of reality as an all-encompassing force field, where all entities are on exactly the same ontological footing. In order to sustain this all-inclusive understanding of reality, the book surveys the entire Western philosophy to argue against antirealistic tendencies –whether be in the form of transcendence, anthropocentrism, or teleology– in an ontology.

Reviews

“Balanuye opens a new path in philosophy. It’s a way that manages to remain both ancient and most important at the same time: A speculation on the nature of reality without prejudices, and yet with profound insight. A brilliant work, and a great philosopher.”

Maurizio Ferraris

“Çetin Balanuye is thoroughly familiar with the New Realist trends in contemporary philosophy. Working in these currents, he proposes a new ontology that resonates with the timeless thought of Spinoza. While reading this book I felt calm and contemplative, and was moved to consider the entire sweep of the history of philosophy.”

Graham Harman

Table of contents

Introduction

1. The wind

2. The tree

3. The wave

4. Zagor

5. The rock

6. The apple

7. Melody

8. Modus

9. The ghost

10. The fungus

11. The mole

12 Cosmos

13. The man

14. The thing

15. The nymph

16. The button

17. The concept

18. The icicle

19. Sediment

20. Idea

21. Mathematics

22. Fire

23. Atom

24. The soul

25. The Species

26. The Road

Index

References