Nature, the Soul, and God, 2nd Edition: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Nature

The full title of Newton’s Principia is “The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy.” Sadly, some contemporary philosophers might be hard-pressed to say just what natural philosophy is about—sadly, because it remains foundational to questions arising in other disciplines: metaphysics, ethics, philosophical psychology, and the philosophy of god, to name a few. In Nature, the Soul, and God, Jean Rioux has brought together primary readings in the philosophy of nature, presenting ways in which philosophers conceive of and account for the natural world in a pre-scientific reflection upon the way things are. Its three main sections comprise: a consideration of what the world would look like if natural philosophy were not possible, some representative natural philosophies (materialism, formalism, dualism, and hylomorphism), as well as an investigation into the implications these philosophies of nature have for other important questions, such as human freedom and the immortality of the human soul. Through the medium of philosophers both ancient and modern, Rioux makes the point that one’s philosophical account of the natural world will inevitably have an impact upon how one regards oneself, and even things divine. It all begins with nature.

Jean W. Rioux is professor and chair of the philosophy department at Benedictine College, Atchison, Kansas.