Ontology of complexity: A reading of Gregory Bateson - Paperback

by Gianfranco Savino (Author)

This essay on Gregory Bateson attempts a reading of his thought from a purely philosophical-ontological standpoint. The epistemological issues raised by Bateson are interpreted as intimately connected to Heidegger's problem of overcoming of metaphysics and question concerning the Sense of Being. Bateson's setting of mind/body question, his formal definition of the concept of 'mind' and his interpretation of phenomena related to the sacred and the functioning of mental systems, are assumed as conceptual tools exceeding the implicit assumptions of substantialist and dualistic onto-theo-logy belonging to the Western tradition. Furthermore, in the appendix Bateson's notion of 'sacred' is taken as the key point for a possible postmodern determination of the essence of religion.

Author Biography

Gianfranco Savino was born in 1974 and is a philosopher and a poet with a non-academic career. As a philosopher he has authored many articles, given courses at the university and lectured at Jean Monnet International Summer Seminars. His interests range from Philosophy of Science to the Theory of Politics. He published Nell'assenza di nomi (In the absence of names), an anthology of essays on Heidegger related topics. You can find out more about Gianfranco Savino on his website http: //gianfrancosavino.wix.com/