(T 03753, 2002-2005, 2 400 000 Ft)

The topic of this research is the investigation concerning various problems related to the concept of nature at the meeting point of different disciplines. Beside the mainstream, corpuscular-mechanic approach to science, many heterogeneous motives and trends exist, having one thing in common: a standpoint opposing the mechanism. This means that the concept of nature defined in terms of the mechanism is very closely linked to the Baroque notion of the psyche, but through the notion of the mechanism, as a reflection to it, a Baroque interpretation of the psyche will influence the concept of nature, too. The interpretation of the psyche can thus be made complete in proportion to our possibilities, since beyond the survey of the different views held by the canonised writers concerning the concept of the psyche, such an investigation will be an organic part of the project. Our research is performed practically on the whole of Baroque Europe: from the French to the Moravians, from the Hungarians to the Germans, from the Spanish to the English. The elaboration of the topic in Hungarian has already been prepared during the work done individually by those taking part in the project. While accomplishing the project, we are going to establish the contact with domestic and international places for research.

Proposed publications: individual publications; the publication of the essays presented at the conference in 2003; supplementing Descartes’ The Passions of the Soul with comments; the publication of a collection of texts at the end of the project; making the essays produced during the research thematically available on the Internet

Proposed programmes: independent speeches delivered by our researchers at conferences; study trips abroad; workshops; making use of our findings in post-secondary education; organising a conference in Szeged in 2003; essays presenting the results of the research which will make up the final collection of texts.

Janos Toth PhD associate professor

University of Szeged Department of Philosophy

6722 Szeged Petofi sgt. 30-34