On machines and organisms. Canguilhem and the disguised aspects of Cartesian animal-machine
The purpose of this article is to discuss Canguilhem’s approach of Cartesian biology. More than a simple textual criticism, Canguilhem aims to demonstrate how, through the mechanical representation of the organism, a machine whose performance depends exclusively on the arrangement of its organs, Des...
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Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)
2018-04-01
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Online Access: | http://www.oquenosfazpensar.fil.puc-rio.br/index.php/oqnfp/article/view/575 |
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doaj-bd7e189b367b4189a0970221326978972020-11-24T22:08:07ZporPontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)O Que Nos Faz Pensar0104-66752018-04-012641575On machines and organisms. Canguilhem and the disguised aspects of Cartesian animal-machineRafael Henrique Teixeira0Departamento de Filosofia, IFCH/UNICAMP - Pós-Doutorando (Bolsista FAPESP)The purpose of this article is to discuss Canguilhem’s approach of Cartesian biology. More than a simple textual criticism, Canguilhem aims to demonstrate how, through the mechanical representation of the organism, a machine whose performance depends exclusively on the arrangement of its organs, Descartes was forced to incorporate refractory elements to a comprehensive mechanism to the mechanical elucidation of the living body, elements that Canguilhem observes in the technological anthropomorphism found in metaphysics that underlies the animal-machine theory. On the one hand, this point of view about Cartesian philosophy is a corollary of the Canguilhem’s biological philosophy of technique. On the other hand, it is related to an important topic of Canguilhem’s philosophy: the quest, in the history of knowledge about life, for elements that reveal the irreducible originality of life up against the theoretical attempts of its annexation to non-living models. Considering Cartesian philosophy, this effort is even more expressive, because it happens exactly where the mechanism seemed to provide the ultimate word about the aspects of life.http://www.oquenosfazpensar.fil.puc-rio.br/index.php/oqnfp/article/view/575 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
Portuguese |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Rafael Henrique Teixeira |
spellingShingle |
Rafael Henrique Teixeira On machines and organisms. Canguilhem and the disguised aspects of Cartesian animal-machine O Que Nos Faz Pensar |
author_facet |
Rafael Henrique Teixeira |
author_sort |
Rafael Henrique Teixeira |
title |
On machines and organisms. Canguilhem and the disguised aspects of Cartesian animal-machine |
title_short |
On machines and organisms. Canguilhem and the disguised aspects of Cartesian animal-machine |
title_full |
On machines and organisms. Canguilhem and the disguised aspects of Cartesian animal-machine |
title_fullStr |
On machines and organisms. Canguilhem and the disguised aspects of Cartesian animal-machine |
title_full_unstemmed |
On machines and organisms. Canguilhem and the disguised aspects of Cartesian animal-machine |
title_sort |
on machines and organisms. canguilhem and the disguised aspects of cartesian animal-machine |
publisher |
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) |
series |
O Que Nos Faz Pensar |
issn |
0104-6675 |
publishDate |
2018-04-01 |
description |
The purpose of this article is to discuss Canguilhem’s approach of Cartesian biology. More than a simple textual criticism, Canguilhem aims to demonstrate how, through the mechanical representation of the organism, a machine whose performance depends exclusively on the arrangement of its organs, Descartes was forced to incorporate refractory elements to a comprehensive mechanism to the mechanical elucidation of the living body, elements that Canguilhem observes in the technological anthropomorphism found in metaphysics that underlies the animal-machine theory. On the one hand, this point of view about Cartesian philosophy is a corollary of the Canguilhem’s biological philosophy of technique. On the other hand, it is related to an important topic of Canguilhem’s philosophy: the quest, in the history of knowledge about life, for elements that reveal the irreducible originality of life up against the theoretical attempts of its annexation to non-living models. Considering Cartesian philosophy, this effort is even more expressive, because it happens exactly where the mechanism seemed to provide the ultimate word about the aspects of life. |
url |
http://www.oquenosfazpensar.fil.puc-rio.br/index.php/oqnfp/article/view/575 |
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AT rafaelhenriqueteixeira onmachinesandorganismscanguilhemandthedisguisedaspectsofcartesiananimalmachine |
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