From Scientific Philosophy to Myth: An Unquiet Philosophical Journey

Philosophy was always outstretched between mythos and logos. In different historical periods the proportions between these two constituents of philosophical thought were shaped differently. Papers gathered in this book examine these two poles of philosophical thinking treated not in oppositional, but in supplementary way.

This volume explores the dynamic interplay between rational inquiry and mythical imagination in the philosophical thought of Francesco Coniglione. It presents a collection of essays that engage directly with his ideas by expanding and reinterpreting them in creative ways. Drawing on traditions from Plato to Popper and from Cassirer to Fleck, contributors examine how philosophical knowledge is shaped not only by explicit concepts and theories but also by semiotic structures, such as myths, metaphors, and parables, that underlie human understanding. The volume is structured around two complementary poles: the rational foundations of philosophy and its mythic dimensions. Some essays engage with critical realism, idealisation, and the epistemological legacy of the Milan School, while others wrestle with the social and institutional milieux of science including reflections on artificial intelligence and academic culture. It is through this rich dialogue that the book’s contributions reveal how Coniglione’s work bridges analytic rigor with cultural depth to offer a holistic vision of knowledge. This volume is essential reading for scholars interested in the intersection of philosophy, science, and society, and for those seeking to understand how myth and reason continue to shape our intellectual ecosystem. – Joseph Ulatowski, University of Waikato, New Zealand