Associate Prof. Dr. Matjaž Vesel devotes his research to the history of philosophy, especially medieval, renaissance and early modern philosophy, as well as the history and philosophy of science and historical epistemology. His research interests include the classical philosophical problems of medieval philosophy, such as the question of free will presupposing divine foreknowledge; the fundamental ontological questions of Being and being; the problem of universalities; and Neo-Platonism in the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Modern Age. The main part of his scientific research work is devoted to investigating the epistemological rupture between ancient episteme and modern science and the relationship between science, philosophy and theology in the period leading up to and throughout the Scientific Revolution. In this context, he examines the works of Nicholas of Cusa, Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Rene Descartes, Isaac Newton and other authors, who provide a direct or indirect context for understanding the texts of the aforementioned thinkers. He has published more than 150 different papers both at home and abroad, including five monographs, and has participated in numerous international conferences, symposia and scientific gatherings.
Articles
Newtonova kritika Descartesovega pojmovanja gibanja (Newton's Critique of Descartes' Conception of Motion), Filozofski vestnik, 2021, letn. 42, št. 3, str. 27–151.
Before Copernicus and Copernicus, Aestimatio, 2020, letn. 1, str. 71-111.
Newton, nedosegljivo bistvo teles, teološki voluntarizem in zakoni narave (Newton, the Elusive Essence of Bodies, Theological Voluntarism and the Laws of Nature), Filozofski vestnik, 2020, letn. 41, št. 3, str. 81-107.
(Copernican) experiences and the (Copernican) Bible in Galileo's Letter to Castelli,Teorie vědy = Theory of Science, 2015, letn. 37, št. 2, str. 123-158.
Descartes o gibanju v Svetu (Descartes on motion in the World), Filozofski vestnik, 2018, letn. 39, št. 1, str. 7–34.
Monographs and chapters in monographs
Kopernikanski manifest Galilea Galileija (Galileo Galilei's Copernican Manifest: Genesis of the Dialogue of the two Chief World Systems; Notes and Commentaries to the Dialogue of the Two Chief World Systems), Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2009.
Nebeške novice Galilea Galileija (Galileo Galilei's Heavenly News). Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2007.
Astronom-filozof: Nikolaj Kopernik, gibanje Zemlje in kopernikanska revolucija (Astronomer-Philosopher: Nicholas Copernicus, the Movement of the Earth and 'Copernican revolution'), Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2007.
Učena nevednost Nikolaja Kuzanskega: Kuzanski in konstitucija univerzuma moderne znanosti (The Learned Ignorance of Nicholas Cusanus: Cusanus and the Constitution of the Universe of Modern Science). Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2000.
Copernicus: Platonist Astronomer-Philosopher: Cosmic Order, the movement of the Earth, and the Scientific Revolution, Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2014.
Descartesovi Principi filozofije: kaj je gibanje. V: René Descartes, Principi filozofije, prvi in drugi del (Descartes' Principles of Philosophy: What is Motion. In René Descartes, Principles of Philosophy, Parts One and Two), Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2023, str. 173–258.
'Newton's genesis': a thought experiment on the creation of 'bodies' and its epistemological consequences, v: Philosophical imagination: Thought Experiments and Arguments in Antiquity. Ur. Boris Vezjak. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2021, str. 147-170.
Translation Work
Translations of Short Texts
Gemin, Povzetek Pozejdonijeve Razprave o nebesnih telesih (ohranjeni odlomek); (Gemin, Summary of Poseidonius' Treatise on Celestial Bodies (extant fragment)), Filozofski vestnik, letn. 29, št. 1 (2008), str. 148–152.
Klavdij Ptolemaj, Almagest, prva knjiga, poglavja 1-8 (Claudius Ptolemy, Almagest, first book, chapters 1-8), Filozofski vestnik, letn. 29, št. 1 (2008), str. 153–174.
Christopher Clavius, Komentar Sacroboscove Sfere (odlomek iz 4. poglavja); (Christopher Clavius, Commentary on the Sphere of Sacrobosco (excerpt from chapter 4)), Filozofski vestnik, letn. 29, št. 1 (2008), str. 175–182.
Johannes Kepler, Skrivnost sveta (Mysterium Cosmographicum), 1. poglavje (Johannes Kepler, Mystery of the World (Mysterium Cosmographicum), Chapter 1), Filozofski vestnik, letn. 29, št. 1 (2008), str. 183–195.
Johannes Kepler, Zagovor Tycha proti Ursu, 1. poglavje (Johannes Kepler, The Defence of Tycho against Ursus, chapter 1), Filozofski vestnik, letn. 29, št. 1 (2008), str. 197 – 215.
Roberto Bellarmino, Pismo Antoniu Foscariniju (12. april 1615); (Roberto Bellarmino, Letter to Antonio Foscarini (12 April 1615)), Filozofski vestnik, letn. 29, št. 1 (2008), str. 217 – 221.
Galileo Galilei, Razmišljanja o kopernikanskem mnenju (Galileo Galilei, Reflections on the Copernican View), Filozofski vestnik, letn. 29, št. 1 (2008), str. 223–241.
Galileo Galilei, Roberto Bellarmino in drugi, Izbrana pisma in dokumenti (1613-1616); (Galileo Galilei, Roberto Bellarmino and others, Selected Letters and Documents (1613-1616)), Filozofski vestnik, letn. 36, št. 1 (2015), str. 85–161.
Translations of Books
G. Galilei, Dialog o dveh glavnih sistemih sveta, ptolemajskem in kopernikanskem (G. Galilei, Dialogue on the Two Main Systems of the World, Ptolemaic and Copernican), 2009.
G. Galilei, Zvezdni glasnik, dvojezična, latinsko-slovenska izdaja (G. Galilei, The Starry Messenger, bilingual, Latin-Slovenian edition), in M. Vesel, The Celestial News of Galileo Galilei, pp. 82-175; Galilei's Selected Letters, pp. 221–305, 2007.
Johannes Kepler, Razgovor z Zvezdnim glasnikom (Johannes Kepler, Conversing with the Starry Messenger), in M. Vesel, Celestial News of Galileo Galilei, pp. 177-220, 2007.
Alain de Libéra, Srednjeveška filozofija (Alain de Libéra, Medieval Philosophy), Maribor: Aristej, 2007.
A. Koyré, Znanstvena revolucija (”Alexandre Koyré and the 'Scientific Revolution'”, in: Koyré, A., Scientific Revolution: Selected Papers from the History of Scientific and Philosophical Thought), Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2006.
Aristotel, O nebu (Aristotle, On the Heavens), Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2004.
Editorial Work
Copernicus and the Philosophy of Copernican Revolutions. Special Issue, Filozofski vestnik, 2004, letn. 25, št. 2.
- The problem of objectivity and fiction in contemporary philosophy (July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2021)
- Europe as a Philosophical Idea and Political Subject (fundamental research project • May 1, 2017 - April 30, 2020)
- The Structure of the Void (fundamental research project • July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2014)
- Conditions and Problems of Contemporary Philosophy IV (research programme • January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2025)
- Conditions and Problems of Contemporary Philosophy III (research programme • January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2019)
- Conceptualizing the End: its Temporality, Dialectics, and Affective Dimension (fundamental research project • October 1, 2022 - September 30, 2026)
- 2014–, Postgraduate School ZRC SAZU, module “Transformation of Modern Thought - Philosophy, Psychoanalysis, Culture” at the postgraduate programme “Comparative Study of Ideas and Cultures”, course “Philosophy and the Scientific Revolution”.
- 2004-2014, University of Nova Gorica, " Comparative Studies of Ideas and Cultures", course "Conceptual Genesis of the Modern World".
- 1999-2005, University of Maribor, Faculty of Education (now Faculty of Arts), course "Medieval Philosophy".
- Occasional guest lecturer at several universities in Slovenia (University of Ljubljana; Graduate School "Institutum Studiorum Humanitatis", Ljubljana; University of Maribor) and abroad (University of West Bohemia, Pilsen; University of Oklahoma, Norman; Charles University, Prague; University of Bucharest; University of Fribourg; University Ca' Foscari, Venice.
- The Golden Sign of ZRC SAZU, 2007, Ljubljana - for a distinguished PhD thesis, Ljubljana (1999) - for the doctoral dissertation "The Learned Ignorance of Nikolai Kuzansky in the Light of Theoretical Psychoanalysis". VIDEO
- 2014–, Member of the editorial board of the Czech Philosophical Journal Pro-Fil.
- 2013–, European Society for the History of Science.
- 2004–2010, Filozofski vestnik, Main Editor.
- 2001– Collection Editor Historia scientiae, ZRC Publishing.
- 1999–, Filozofski vestnik.