About the Journal

About the Encyclopedia

The aim of the Online Encyclopedia Philosophy of Nature (OEPN) (ISSN 2629-8821) is to provide high-quality information on, and explanations of, natural-philosophical terms and subject areas and to make these freely accessible (Open Access) in German and English. There is no commercial interest.

It is planned that the Encyclopedia will have entries on over 300 concepts. These will be written by academic experts, though their intended audience is not only academics but anyone who wants to understand what nature can be for us – and who is therefore interested in the philosophy of nature.

The entries should be historical and pluralistic: they thematise selected historical changes in the concept under discussion and inform the reader as neutrally as possible (while still systematically classifying and commenting) of selected competing meanings and interpretations of the concept. In addition, authors may argue for or against certain uses of the concept – or even for a general abandonment of the concept. Terms that have significance beyond the field of the philosophy of nature, such as "spirit" and "possibility", are treated by emphasizing their specific natural philosophical meanings (without divorcing them from their broader philosophical contexts).

All published manuscripts have been subjected to a peer review procedure (blind, if possible double blind).

The lexicon is institutionally supported and financed by the Protestant Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (FEST) in Heidelberg.