The Strategy of Life: Teleology and Mechanics in Nineteenth-Century German BiologyIn the early nineteenth century, a group of German biologists led by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach and Karl Friedrich Kielmeyer initiated a search for laws of biological organization that would explain the phenomena of form and function and establish foundations for a unified theory of life. The tradition spawned by these efforts found its most important spokesman in Karl Ernst von Baer. Timothy Lenoir chronicles the hitherto unexplored achievements of the practitioners of this research tradition as they aimed to place functional morphology at the heart of a new science, which they called "biology." Strongly influenced by Immanuel Kant, the biologists' approach combined a sophisticated teleology with mechanistic theories and sparked bitter controversies with the rival programs, mechanistic reductionism and Darwinism. Although temporarily eclipsed by these two approaches, the morphological tradition, Lenoir argues, was not vanquished in the field of scientific debate. It contributed to pathbreaking research in areas such as comparative anatomy, embryology, paleontology, and biogeography. |
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according animal forms approach argued ascidians Baer's view Bergmann and Leuckart Bildungstrieb biological organization Blumenbach capable causal cell theory chemical affinities chemistry comparative anatomy completely conception constructed Cuvier Darwin's demonstrated developmental morphology discussion Döllinger DuBois-Reymond elements embryo embryology emerge Ernst von Baer evolution explanation Friedrich functional germ germ layers germinal disc gill arches Göttingen heat Helmholtz Ibid important inorganic investigation Johann Friedrich Meckel Johannes Müller Kant Kant's Karl Ernst Keime and Anlagen Kielmeyer laws Lebenskraft Liebig material exchange mechanical Meckel morphology nature Naturphilosophie nineteenth century notion organic form organic realm organized body original ovum particles particular phenomena physical physiology position principle problem processes produce purposive organization Rathke reductionists Reil result Rudolph Wagner Schwann species structure substance teleological framework teleomechanism teleomechanists transformation variations vertebrates vis viva vital force vital materialists vitalistic von Baer whole Wolffian body zoology