We are glad to give notice of the seminar Biocentrism, Anthropocentrism, Ecocentrism: Conceptions of Nature in German Classical Philosophy.
The event, organized by Stefania Achella (University of Chieti), will take place at the Italian Institute of Philosophical Studies in Naples on February 23–24, 2026.
Below you can find the description and the program of the event.
This seminar aims to explore the connections, tensions, and intersections between German Classical Philosophy and recent debates on environmental ontology and ethics. Starting from the hypothesis of a non-mechanistic and non-instrumental reconsideration of nature, the seminar seeks to investigate the possibility of overcoming anthropocentric individualism in favor of a relational ontology. Alongside the major figures of German Classical Philosophy (Kant, Fichte, Schelling, Hegel), key representatives of the Goethe-Zeit and of organic science will also be examined, in an effort to highlight early and original tendencies toward an alternative ecological thought. The goal of the seminar is to reinterpret the leading figures of German Classical Philosophy in light of today’s ecological and environmental challenges, and to promote interdisciplinary dialogue between the history of philosophy, environmental ethics, and contemporary ecological theory.
Program:
Monday, February 23, 3 p.m.
Georg Oswald (University of Kiel)
Grounding Values in Nature: Kantian Responses to Challenges of Bio- and Ecocentrism
Stefania Achella (University of Chieti-Pescara)
Become Terrestrial. The legacy of Hegel and Humboldt
Federica Pitillo (University of Naples Federico II)
“The Crystal of Life”: On Geology and Mineralogy in Hegel’s Philosophy of Nature
Tuesday, February 24, 10 a.m.
Luis Fellipe Garcia (University of Leuwen)
Expanding the Subject and Limiting the Human: Schelling’s Potential Contribution to Environmental Ethics
Giulia Bernard, Luca Illetterati (University of Padua)
Challenging the Anthropocene: Critical Perspectives from Schelling and Hegel
Conclusions Luca Corti (University of Padua)
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