Abstract
German philosophy was the farthest thing from Napoleon’s taste. So too was Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, author of the discipline of biology and of the first fully elaborated theory of the transformation of living forms, or what we would now call evolution, who personified all that the Little Corporal most reviled. In particular, Lamarck personified a new sort of historical natural science that had been emerging over the previous half-century. Napoleon’s imperial aversions were personal, intellectual, and political in equal measure. His dismissal of history and philosophy as modes of naturalist scientific understanding—let us call it “Napoleonism” to follow in that era’s neologistic tendency—had important repercussions for the subsequent development and history of science, especially the life sciences.3
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
