The philosopher's plant
Subtitle: an intellectual herbarium
By: Michael Marder ; with drawings by Mathilde Roussel
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: 2014
Language: eng
Number of pages: 265
ISBN-13: 9780231169028; 9780231169035
Subjects: Plants; Botany; Philosophy; Adaptation; Human-plant relationships; History
Description: "Despite their conceptual allergy to vegetal life, philosophers have used germination, growth, blossoming, fruition, reproduction, and decay as illustrations of abstract concepts; mentioned plants in passing as the natural backdrops for dialogues, letters, and other compositions; spun elaborate allegories out of flowers, trees, and even grass; and recommended appropriate medicinal, dietary, and aesthetic approaches to select species of plants." --
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-253) and index.
Table of contents: title: Plato's plain tree; title: Aristotle's wheat; title: Plotinus' anonymous "great plant"; title: Augustine's pears; title: Avicenna's celery; title: Maimonides' palm tree; title: Leibniz's blades of grass; title: Kant's tulip; title: Hegel's grapes; title: Heidegger's apple tree; title: Derrida's sunflowers; title: Irigaray's water lily.