A philosophical approach to the nature of movement: a necessary perspective in the knowledge of natural reality.

Abstract

Despite attempting to ignore the philosophical dimension when explaining natural reality, many contemporary scientific theories keep running into certain debates —for instance, the nature of space and time-­‐‑ to which they fail to give satisfactory answers, given that such debates are beyond the limited scope of said theories. It is therefore necessary to reconsider the cognitive status of both science and philosophy in order to demonstrate that, granted their methodological affinity, they differ greatly in their objects of study, their points of reference, and their intellectual interests. This paper deals with the distinction among what Aristotle called “theoretical sciences” (Physics, Mathematics and Metaphysics), and examines the issue of movement along Aristotelian lines in order to point out how the attempt to reduce the knowledge of nature to experimental results and empirical statements runs the risk of ignoring basic aspects of reality.