Leo Apostel
Encyclopedia
Leo Apostel was a Belgian philosopher
and professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
and the Universiteit Gent. Apostel was an advocate of interdisciplinary research and the bridging of the gap between exact science
and humanities
.
at the ULB in Brussels
with philosopher of law and logician Chaïm Perelman
. He got his M.A.
at the ULB in Brussels
in October 1948 with the thesis Questions sur l'Introspection. For another year he stayed here working as an assistant of Perelman.
In 1950-1951 Apostel is a CRB fellow at the University of Chicago
with Rudolf Carnap
and with Carl Gustav Hempel
at Yale University
. He promoted at the ULB in March 1953 with the dissertation "La Loi et les Causes". In 1955 he went to Geneva
Switzerland
to study a work with Jean Piaget
at the Centre International d'Epistémologie Génétique. Those experiences would influence the rest of his life.
From 1955 Apostel lectured logic
and philosophy of science
at the Ghent University
and the ULB for three years. In 1958-1959 he is visiting professor at the Pennsylvania State University
. From
1960 to 1979 he was a professor at the Ghent University
.
Leo Apostel was awarded the Solvay award for human sciences in 1985 and the Arkprijs van het Vrije Woord
in 1986. The transdisciplinary research department Center Leo Apostel (CLEA) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
was named after him.
and humanities
.
In some of his so-called "natural philosophy" he worked in his beliefs as freemason
. He wrote two books about it: Freemasonry: A Philosophical Essay in 1985, and Atheïstische spiritualiteit in 1998.
His ideas about atheistic religiosity are widely acknowledged.
about the beginning of man
, life
and the universe
. This work is part of his project to develop an own scientific metaphysics. The basic for this is the contemporary philosophy of science
and the existing sciences and humanities from physics, astrophysics, biology, geology to antropology. In this book he first outlines the term metaphysics, then presents an ontology, which results in an own consistent world view
.
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish university located in Brussels, Belgium. It has two campuses referred to as Etterbeek and Jette.The university's name is sometimes abbreviated by "VUB" or translated to "Free University of Brussels"...
and the Universiteit Gent. Apostel was an advocate of interdisciplinary research and the bridging of the gap between exact science
Exact science
An exact science is any field of science capable of accurate quantitative expression or precise predictions and rigorous methods of testing hypotheses, especially reproducible experiments involving quantifiable predictions and measurements...
and humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
.
Biography
Leo Apostel was born Antwerp in 1925. After the second World War he studied philosophyPhilosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the ULB in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
with philosopher of law and logician Chaïm Perelman
Chaim Perelman
Chaïm Perelman was a Polish-born philosopher of law, who studied, taught, and lived most of his life in Brussels. He was among the most important argumentation theorists of the twentieth century...
. He got his M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
at the ULB in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in October 1948 with the thesis Questions sur l'Introspection. For another year he stayed here working as an assistant of Perelman.
In 1950-1951 Apostel is a CRB fellow at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
with Rudolf Carnap
Rudolf Carnap
Rudolf Carnap was an influential German-born philosopher who was active in Europe before 1935 and in the United States thereafter. He was a major member of the Vienna Circle and an advocate of logical positivism....
and with Carl Gustav Hempel
Carl Gustav Hempel
Carl Gustav "Peter" Hempel was a philosopher of science and a major figure in 20th-century logical empiricism...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He promoted at the ULB in March 1953 with the dissertation "La Loi et les Causes". In 1955 he went to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
to study a work with Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget was a French-speaking Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher known for his epistemological studies with children. His theory of cognitive development and epistemological view are together called "genetic epistemology"....
at the Centre International d'Epistémologie Génétique. Those experiences would influence the rest of his life.
From 1955 Apostel lectured logic
Logic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
and philosophy of science
Philosophy of science
The philosophy of science is concerned with the assumptions, foundations, methods and implications of science. It is also concerned with the use and merit of science and sometimes overlaps metaphysics and epistemology by exploring whether scientific results are actually a study of truth...
at the Ghent University
Ghent University
Ghent University is a Dutch-speaking public university located in Ghent, Belgium. It is one of the larger Flemish universities, consisting of 32,000 students and 7,100 staff members. The current rector is Paul Van Cauwenberge.It was established in 1817 by King William I of the Netherlands...
and the ULB for three years. In 1958-1959 he is visiting professor at the Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
. From
1960 to 1979 he was a professor at the Ghent University
Ghent University
Ghent University is a Dutch-speaking public university located in Ghent, Belgium. It is one of the larger Flemish universities, consisting of 32,000 students and 7,100 staff members. The current rector is Paul Van Cauwenberge.It was established in 1817 by King William I of the Netherlands...
.
Leo Apostel was awarded the Solvay award for human sciences in 1985 and the Arkprijs van het Vrije Woord
Arkprijs van het Vrije Woord
The Arkprijs van het Vrije Woord is a symbolic award which was created in 1951 by Herman Teirlinck and the editorial team of the Nieuw Vlaams Tijdschrift to counteract ideologically driven restrictions on the freedom of expression.He wanted to bring those persons into the spotlight who actively...
in 1986. The transdisciplinary research department Center Leo Apostel (CLEA) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish university located in Brussels, Belgium. It has two campuses referred to as Etterbeek and Jette.The university's name is sometimes abbreviated by "VUB" or translated to "Free University of Brussels"...
was named after him.
Work
Apostel was an advocate of interdisciplinary research and the bridging of the gap between exact scienceExact science
An exact science is any field of science capable of accurate quantitative expression or precise predictions and rigorous methods of testing hypotheses, especially reproducible experiments involving quantifiable predictions and measurements...
and humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
.
In some of his so-called "natural philosophy" he worked in his beliefs as freemason
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
. He wrote two books about it: Freemasonry: A Philosophical Essay in 1985, and Atheïstische spiritualiteit in 1998.
His ideas about atheistic religiosity are widely acknowledged.
Origins
In his book "Oorsprong" (Origin) from 2000 Apostel gives an introduction of a metaphysicsMetaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
about the beginning of man
Man
The term man is used for an adult human male . However, man is sometimes used to refer to humanity as a whole...
, life
Life
Life is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...
and the universe
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
. This work is part of his project to develop an own scientific metaphysics. The basic for this is the contemporary philosophy of science
Philosophy of science
The philosophy of science is concerned with the assumptions, foundations, methods and implications of science. It is also concerned with the use and merit of science and sometimes overlaps metaphysics and epistemology by exploring whether scientific results are actually a study of truth...
and the existing sciences and humanities from physics, astrophysics, biology, geology to antropology. In this book he first outlines the term metaphysics, then presents an ontology, which results in an own consistent world view
World view
A comprehensive world view is the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society encompassing the entirety of the individual or society's knowledge and point-of-view, including natural philosophy; fundamental, existential, and normative postulates; or themes, values, emotions, and...
.
Literature
Apostel wrote about 20 books and 100 articles in Dutch, French and English. His books:- Matière et Forme
- Communication et Action,
- Logique et Dialectique,
- The Problem of African Philosophy,
- Afbraak en Opbouw,
- De Gebroken Orde,
- Waarde en Zin van de Cultuurwetenschappen in de 20e eeuw.
- 1985, Freemasonry: A Philosophical Essay
- 1998, Atheïstische spiritualiteit
About Leo Apostel
- Ingrid Van Dooren and Leo Apostel, The Philosophy of Leo Apostel: A life history Communication and Cognition, 1989.
External links
- Leo Apostel Official website, Ghent UniversityGhent UniversityGhent University is a Dutch-speaking public university located in Ghent, Belgium. It is one of the larger Flemish universities, consisting of 32,000 students and 7,100 staff members. The current rector is Paul Van Cauwenberge.It was established in 1817 by King William I of the Netherlands...
.