Synopsis of the Ninth International seminar on Biocosmology (9ISBC)

The Ninth International seminar on Biocosmology (9ISBC) has taken place Sigmund Freud University, Vienna, Austria, in May 5-6, 2015, concurrently with the conference “Constructive Realism (CR) – 25 Years” at the Sigmund Freud University. Among the Board Members of the Biocosmological Association (BCA) who took a share in this meeting were professors Xiaoting Liu, Walter Kofler, Leonardo Chiatti, and the author of this message. Prof. Friedrich Wallner, BCA’s member, and who is the author of the conception of Constructive Realism – he gave the presentation on the topic “Constructivism without Constructor”. Prof. Wallner was a hero of the meeting. Indeed, 25 years ago, in 1990, he proposed the concept of Constructive Realism (CR) that has further been discussed in numerous publications and conferences. During the last 25 years CR has been put to use in various fields and developed from an epistemological service to science to a truly intercultural Philosophy of Science. Especially the method of strangification has shown to be a versatile tool in many respects – even outside the context of CR itself. 

During the 9ISBC, BCA members likewise take into consideration the CR-issues, dealing with the manifold interpretations and applications of Constructive Realism and/or the methodology of strangification from the Biocosmological (neo-Aristotelian and Integralist) perspective. These and other (of BCA’s scope) issues were the subject of heated discussions in the course of debates, dialogues and polylogues (that has taken place), as well as the official presentations, within the Conference’s program. The latter were titled as: Walter Kofler - “Ontologische und epistemologische Positionen von A. Einstein”; Xiaoting Liu and Xiuhua Zhang - “Constructive Realism and Philosophy of New Civilization”; my oral speech was on “Mind Studies with Constructive Realism: Organizing Comparative Dictionary of Mind”; and Leonardo Chiatti has the topic on “Niels Bohr and 20th century biology: a strangification case?”

There is no doubt that the meeting in Vienna was very helpful and brought us a lot of valuable information, inducing moments and fruitful ideas. Especially, it has proved useful in preparation for the organization of the next (10ISBC) meeting in Beijing, October 30 –November 2, 2015, on the topic “Contemporary issues and Biocosmological perspectives for the development of Asian naturalism”. We now are looking forward to meeting therein and continuing our cooperation.

 

May 12, 2015

Kwon Jong Yoo,
Prof., Dept. of Philosophy, Chung-Ang University;
President of the Biocosmological Association (2012-2014)