The Philosopher's Plant: An Intellectual HerbariumDespite their conceptual allergy to vegetal life, philosophers have used germination, growth, blossoming, fruition, reproduction, and decay as illustrations of abstract concepts; mentioned plants in passing as the natural backdrops for dialogues, letters, and other compositions; spun elaborate allegories out of flowers, trees, and even grass; and recommended appropriate medicinal, dietary, and aesthetic approaches to select species of plants. In this book, Michael Marder illuminates the elaborate vegetal centerpieces and hidden kernels that have powered theoretical discourse for centuries. Choosing twelve botanical specimens that correspond to twelve significant philosophers, he recasts the development of philosophy through the evolution of human and plant relations. A philosophical history for the postmetaphysical age, The PhilosopherÕs Plant reclaims the organic heritage of human thought. With the help of vegetal images, examples, and metaphors, the book clears a path through philosophyÕs tangled roots and dense undergrowth, opening up the discipline to all readers. |
Contents
Part II Medieval PlantInstruments
| 57 |
Part III Modern PlantImages
| 113 |
Postmodern PlantSubjects
| 171 |
Notes
| 231 |
| 245 | |
| 255 | |
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Common terms and phrases
activity actual aesthetic apple Aristotelian Aristotle Aristotle’s Augustine Augustine’s Avicenna beautiful blade of grass blossoming body botanical Canon of Medicine concept creatures Critique of Judgment cultivated culture death deconstruction Derrida desire dialectical difference discourse divine earth Ennead Essays ethical existence faculty finite flower fruit garden germinate God’s grapes growing growth heavenly plant Hegel Heidegger Heidegger’s human idea identity intellectual herbarium Irigaray Irigaray’s Jacques Derrida Kant Kant’s Leibniz living logic logos Luce Irigaray Maimonides material matter meaning metaphor Metaphysics Monadology nature negated nourishment nutritive object one’s oneself ontological organic ourselves pears phallogocentrism Phenomenology of Spirit Philosopher’s Plant philosophy physical plane tree plant soul plants and animals Plato Plotinian Plotinus potentialities principle psyche pure rational reason relation reproduction roots seed sense sexual Socrates soil species substance sunflower symbol synecdoche theoretical things thinker thinking thought tion truth tulip unity universal vegetal soul wheat whole wine word world-plant