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Christoffer Leber1, Kärin Nickelsen2

  • 1M. A., Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Abteilung Wissenschaftsgeschichte, Historisches Seminar, Bibliotheksbau Deutsches Museum, Museumsinsel 1, D-80538, München.

Berichte Zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte
|October 3, 2020
PubMed
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Emil Du Bois-Reymond used historical science narratives to champion his reductionist "organic physics" approach. His speeches framed experimental physiology as a teleological triumph, positioning scientists as redeemers.

Area of Science:

  • 19th-century physiology
  • Neuroscience
  • History of science

Context:

  • Emil Du Bois-Reymond was a key figure in the 19th-century "laboratory revolution" in physiology.
  • He was a proponent of "organic physics," a mechanistic view of life processes.
  • Du Bois-Reymond was also a prominent orator at the Berlin Academy of Sciences.

Purpose:

  • To analyze Emil Du Bois-Reymond's use of historical argumentation in his academic speeches.
  • To demonstrate how he legitimized his reductionist research program.
  • To show how he critiqued idealistic natural philosophy and vitalism.

Summary:

  • This paper examines how Du Bois-Reymond employed historical episodes to advocate for his reductionist research.
  • He utilized biblical rhetoric to present experimental physiology as a teleological culmination.
Keywords:
Berlin Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesBerliner Akademie der WissenschaftenEmil DuBois-ReymondKollektivgedächtnisMythenbildungTeleologieacademic speechesakademische Festredencollective memorymyth-makingorganic physicsorganische Physikteleology

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  • He portrayed "organic physicists" as scientific redeemers, signifying an inevitable scientific progression.

    • Impact:

    • Highlights the rhetorical strategies used to legitimize scientific paradigms.
    • Reveals the historical construction of scientific authority and progress narratives.
    • Offers insights into the intellectual debates surrounding mechanism versus vitalism in 19th-century science.