Jolanta KoszteynCorresponding author

Actio immanens - a fundamental concept of biological investigation

Article
8 - 2003, pages 81-120
Date of online publication: 22 septembre 2016
Date of publication: 30 novembre 2003

Abstract

Actio immanens - as many other terms, coined by the Aristotelian-Thomist philosophical (A-T) tradition - is a biological concept par excellence. It was formed as a mental result of biological observation, on the strength of studies on living beings and so, refers to them first and foremost. During the last century, the term actio immanens gradually disappeared from philosophical encyclopedias and has totally vanished from the biological and philosophical language used to describe the dynamism of life. Moreover, if this term does appear at all, its meaning is rather vague. However, actio immanens belongs to the group of key concepts, without which it would seem not possible to properly describe, nor to properly understand biological phenomena.

Cite this article

Koszteyn, Jolanta. “Actio immanens – A Fundamental Concept of Biological Investigation.” Forum Philosophicum 8 (2004): 81–120. doi:10.35765/forphil.2003.0801.6.