Mario Bunge

Mario Augusto Bunge (born August 21, 1919) is an Argentine philosopher and physicist. He was born in the city of Buenos Aires.

Being interested in the philosophy of physics, Bunge began his studies at Universidad de La Plata, graduating with a Ph.D. in physico-mathematical sciences in 1952. There, and at Universidad de Buenos Aires, he was professor of theoretical physics and philosophy from 1956 until 1966, when, dissatisfied with the political climate of his country, he took the decision to emigrate. For a few years he taught in American, Mexican and German universities; in 1966 he settled in Montreal, Canada, where he has been teaching at McGill University ever since.

Bunge's philosophy is systematically presented in his Treatise on Basic Philosophy, a monumental work in 8 volumes, comprising ontology, epistemology, philosophy of science, and ethics. There, and in more than 80 books and 400 papers, Bunge develops a comprehensive scientific outlook which he applies to the different branches of the natural and social sciences, and which is characterized by global rationalism, scientific realism [1], materialism, dynamicism, systemism [2], and utilitarianism [3]. In the political arena, Bunge has defined himself as a "Left-wing liberal", in the tradition of the Argentine "positivist" movement of José Ingenieros and Carlos Octavio Bunge (Mario's uncle). It should be noted, however, that Bunge is not a logical positivist, as he has repeatedly made clear, and as evinced by his interest in metaphysics, which the Vienna Circle despised as meaningless.

References

1. Racionalidad y realismo. Madrid: Alianza, 1985. [ISBN 84-206-2445-4]
2. Vistas y entrevistas. Buenos Aires: Sudamericana, 1997 (segunda edición) [ISBN 950-07-1311-X].
3. Ética, ciencia y técnica. Buenos Aires: Sudamericana, 1996. [ISBN 950-07-1131-1]

Further Reading

• La ciencia, su método y su filosofía. Buenos Aires: Eudeba, 1960. (Online French translation: La science, sa méthode et sa philosophie (http://www.vigdor.com/titres/bungeLaScienceMetPhil.htm).)
• Intuition and Science. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1962. (Online French translation: Intuition et raison (http://www.vigdor.com/titres/bungeIntuitRaist.htm).)
• Philosophy of Physics. Dordrecht: Reidel, 1973.
• The Mind-Body Problem. Oxford: Pergamon, 1980.
• Treatise on basic philosophy. Dordrecht: Reidel, 1974-1989.
• Finding Philosophy in Social Science. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996.
• Dictionary of Philosophy. New York: Prometheus, 1998.
• Philosophy in Crisis. New York: Prometheus, 2001.

Works about Mario Bunge

• Andy Denis, Methodology and policy prescription in economic thought: a response to Mario Bunge (http://www.city.ac.uk/andy/research/jse_bunge.doc).
• Joseph Agassi and Robert S. Cohen (eds.), Scientific Philosophy Today: Essays in Honor of Mario Bunge. Dordrecht: Reidel, 1982.
• Raúl Serroni-Copello, Encuentros con Mario Bunge. Asociación de Investigaciones en Psicología, 1989).
• Paul Weingartner and Georg Dorn (eds.), Studies on Bunge's Treatise. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1990.
• Laurent-Michel Vacher, Entretiens avec Mario Bunge. Montreal: Laurent-Michel Vacher, 1993.

External links

• Mario Bunge's Home Page (http://www.arts.mcgill.ca/programs/philo/faculty/bunge.htm).
• Selected publications (http://www.formalontology.it/bungem.htm).
• Related links. (http://www.argiropolis.com.ar/ameghino/link/bunmar.htm) In Spanish.