Workgroup A: Nature, Intentionality and Finality

Co-ordinator: Antonio Russo, University of Trieste

The aim is to demonstrate that science is changing its nature. Many of the developments in the various fields of research converge in claiming that a new idea of science is under development. The “fact-value” divide is fading and, as a consequence, the dialogue between science and theology presents new opportunities.

This workgroup will research collaboratively issues about nature, intentionality and finality, considering particularly the transition from collecting experimental data (nature) to interpreting them philosophically and theologically (intentionality and finality). Studying the boundary between knowledge of experimental sciences and that of philosophy and theology makes possible focusing on some fundamental aspects and ideas concerning the relation between the two disciplines. One of our societies is interested in developing a recognition of the importance, in an increasingly science-oriented world, of the metaphysics and philosophical theology of Austin Farrer, an English philosopher and theologian, who was well acquainted with the thinking of Aristotle and Aquinas. Another will explore the research field of “determinism versus freedom”—the concept of freedom (essential for modern philosophy and theology) and the concept of determinism (essential for all natural sciences) raise questions that lie at the core of the “two-culture” debate. Another topic will be concentrated around the concept of “proof” both in mathematics and theology. The investigation will start from a philosophy-of-science point of view as a common framework for natural science and theology. To overcome these difficulties the groups will work on the relation of mathematics to theology. In addition, the one of the societies will take up the on-going, neuro-scientific, philosophical debate with a new theological perspective. In Germany , the interdisciplinary discourse has focused mainly on philosophy and neuroscience, predominantly discussing definitions of freedom and the determination of human resolve. The discussion will include the question whether the correlation between physiological and psychological processes can be described adequately by an interdisciplinary approach, and how these processes can be interpreted theologically.

Societies and General Workplan:

1) University of Trieste

2) University of Oxford

3) University of Heidelberg

4) University of Tübingen and University of Freiburg im Br.

5) University of Louvain-la-Neuve

6) University of Paderborn

Each local society will work on different topics (cognitive sciences at Heidelberg ; mathematics, philosophy and theology at Tübingen-Freiburg; theology and so-called-hard-sciences at Oxford ; physics, philosophy and theology at Trieste , etc.). The selected topics will be investigated from a theological and a philosophical point of view. For this reason specific leading figures and/or research fields have been selected (Brentano, Maritain and Blondel for Trieste; Austin Farrer for Oxford; Cantor and Scholz for Tübingen; and various figures in the contemporary discussion in Germany about the phenomenon of conscience).