Naturtheorie, Gesellschaftstheorie, Messtheorie? Überlegungen zu einer kritischen Naturtheorie

Comment on the essay by F. Engster and A. Schröder on the naturalization of nature and society with a view to a critical theory of nature. As a clarification, I suggest the following classification of possible meanings of the term “critical theory of nature”: (1a) historical-materialist historiography of science in a descriptive sense; (1b) historical-materialist philosophy of science as a normative approach in epistemology; (2) a normative theory of human interventions in nature. Identifying the approach of Engster and Schröder with program (1b), I express two objections: The first one concerns the explanatory value of the thesis that modern society, the modern idea of nature and the neat separation of pure nature and pure society all originate (in a logical sense) in quantification. Secondly, I dispute the thesis that there is a real parallel between the construction DOI 10.1515/zksp-2014-0006 ZKSP 2014; 1(1): 148–161