Morphogenesis of the Real. Nature and Subjectivities in Raymond Ruyer

My project focuses on the notion of subjectivity in Raymond Ruyer’s philosophy. In particular, it aims to show how his redefinition of subjectivity as bonding activity can be the starting point for a new philosophy of nature. I will proceed along three main axes. First, I will focus on his attempt to deprive subjectivity or consciousness of any cognitive function, describing it as the dynamic unity of a domain of interactions, whether sensory, organic or physical. I will then explore the cosmological scope of his work. How can the notion of subjectivity articulate in a new way the ensemble of natural beings, be them physical, biological or psychological? Finally, I will turn to his analysis of embryonic development, which leads him to define the constitutive activity of subjects in terms of morphogenesis or self-formation. The scenario that emerges is that of an essentially plural nature, composed of a multiplicity of centers of experience which are as many subjects, human and non-human, involved in processes of self-formation and interaction.