Experience, Analogy and Mechanism in Maupertuis’s Theory of Generation
| Résumé |
At the mid-eighteenth century, the formulation of alternative
theories undermined the hegemony of preexistence in the debate on
animal generation. The new theories were characterized by a revival
of epigenesis, and by a naturalization of the explanatory models. A
key text in the mid-century renaissance of epigenesis is
Pierre-Louis Moreau de Maupertuis’s "Vénus physique" (1745). While
interpreters have unanimously acknowledged the role of this text in
changing the course of the debate, the reasons for Maupertuis’s
originality have not been studied in depth. Also, the relationship
between the "Vénus physique" and the mechanistic view of generation
is not entirely clear. With respect to the first point, I argue that
Maupertuis is original in the theoretical framework he develops. He
adopts a strongly empiricist stance and is skeptical about the
possibility of the human intellect attaining a reliable knowledge
of nature. As for the second point, I show not only that the
reference to mechanism, and to Descartes’s work, is important in
defining the terms of the controversy over preexistence. The
appropriation of the mechanistic view, its updating, and eventual
dismissal, are also important passages in the constitution of
Enlightenment embryology, fostering the rise of a materialist
approach in the 1750s. |
| Mots-clés |
|
| Citation | Storni, M. (2022). Experience, Analogy and Mechanism in Maupertuis’s Theory of Generation. In Mechanism, Life and Mind in Modern Natural Philosophy. (pp. 155-174). Cham: Springer. |
| Type | Chapitre de livre (Anglais) |
| Année | 2022 |
| Titre du livre | Mechanism, Life and Mind in Modern Natural Philosophy |
| Editeur commercial | Springer (Cham) |
| Pages | 155-174 |