: Investigates metabolism, sentience, and the inherent "powers" that distinguish living organisms.
This section explores the "internal dimensions" of natural entities, categorized by their complexity:
: Examines minerals, elements, and compounds, focusing on "protomatter" and the foundations of physical reality. The Modeling of Nature: Philosophy of Science a...
: Uses cognitive science to explain how human sensation and perception connect the intellect to the physical world.
William A. Wallace’s (1996) is a foundational text that synthesizes Aristotelian-Thomistic natural philosophy with contemporary scientific practice . Wallace argues that modern science is not just a social construct or a set of mathematical abstractions but a realist pursuit capable of reaching objective truth through modeling. Core Content and Structure William A
: Discusses the human soul, volition, and the perfection of human action as a culmination of natural philosophy. Part II: Philosophy of Science
Wallace shifts to the methodology of discovery, defining science as a form of "probable reasoning" that can eventually arrive at certitude: Core Content and Structure : Discusses the human
The book is divided into two primary sections that bridge the gap between traditional philosophy and empirical science.