Nature's capacities: Schelling and contemporary power-based ontologies

Alderwick, Charlotte

Abstract

This paper draws a number of parallels between Schelling’s Naturphilosophie and contemporary work in the metaphysics of powers. This concept is being applied to a range of debates, however a distinct lack of work exists focusing on extending this concept to ontology as a whole. I argue that Schelling’s Naturphilosophie provides insight into what this kind of system would look like. I begin with a brief outline of the characterisation and use of powers in the contemporary literature to show the marked similarities between these accounts and Schelling’s. I then present my reading of the Naturphilosophie as a power-based ontology, and gesture towards some ways in which this account could help to fill some of the gaps in the current literature. Because of the centrality of powers to the Naturphilosophie, and because of the holistic nature of Schelling’s work, the role of powers and relationship of powers to a range of other concepts is carefully specified here. Thus a number of the implications and advantages of this kind of view are already worked out and presented in the texts on Naturphilosophie. Finally, I argue that Schelling’s Naturphilosophie also demonstrates some possible problems that will arise for any ontology of this kind.

Citation

Alderwick, C. (2016). Nature's capacities: Schelling and contemporary power-based ontologies. Angelaki, 21(4), 59-76. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969725X.2016.1229424

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 7, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Sep 27, 2016
• Publication Date: Oct 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: Jun 21, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 28, 2018
• Journal: Angelaki - Journal of the Theoretical Humanities
• Print ISSN: 0969-725X
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 21
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 59-76
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0969725X.2016.1229424
• Keywords: Naturphilosophie, powers, metaphysics, Schelling, philosophy of nature
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/907482
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0969725X.2016.1229424
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Angelaki on 27 September 2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/0969725X.2016.1229424