Uncertain legislator: Georges Cuvier's laws of nature in their intellectual context

Outram, Dorinda

doi:10.1007/bf00138285

Cited by 70 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…''In sum, the definition of the class now presents itself more overtly for what in fact it has always been: a condensed and coordinated collection of characters revealed by experience" (Daudin, 1926a, vol 2: 66). Outram (1986) reached the same conclusion, noting that: "In the actual process of classification, Cuvier in fact relied overwhelmingly not on the 'laws' established by the physiological input into natural history , . ."…”

Section: "La Methode'mentioning

confidence: 89%

Pattern and process: the early classification of snakes

Rieppel¹

1987

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

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The empirical nature of the cladistic approach to pattern analysis has been variously supported by reference to pre-evolutionary systematists. This interpretation of pre-evolutionary biology is critically re-examined on the basis of the early classification of snakes. The example demonstrates the dependence of the concept of homology on theoretical and methodological premises as well as the complementarity of pattern versus process.

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Section: "La Methode'mentioning

confidence: 89%

Pattern and process: the early classification of snakes

Rieppel¹

1987

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

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“…The contrast was striking with the development of zoological classification after 1795, which took into account the internal organization or the “economy” of the animals for the formation of taxonomical groups; this culminated with Cuvier's work (see e.g. Daudin 1926a and 1926b; Outram 1986; Appel 1987).…”

Section: The Idea Of Series: Methodological Order Of Anatomical Descrmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Physiology to Classification: Comparative Anatomy and Vicq d'Azyr's Plan of Reform for Life Sciences and Medicine (1774–1794)

Schmitt

2009

Sci Context

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ArgumentHere I analyze the anatomical thought of the French physician and naturalist Félix Vicq d'Azyr (1748–1794) in order to bring to light its importance in the development of comparative anatomy at the end of the eighteenth century. I argue that his work and career can be understood as an ambitious program for a radical reform of all biomedical sciences and a reorganization of this whole field around comparative anatomy, on the conceptual as well as the institutional level. In particular, he recommended a close connection between anatomical and physiological studies, and a generalization of the comparative approach towards organs and functions in man and animals. This conception led him not only to reform the scope, the methods, the style of description, and the vocabulary in anatomy, but also to construct a new classification of living beings and to pursue a quest for laws of organization. This strategy was successful, since Vicq d'Azyr was able to promote his thought as well as his institutional position efficiently. The Revolution and his untimely death prevented him from achieving his program, but his attempt would serve as an example for younger scientists like Cuvier.

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“…Though Cuvier's explicit arguments against Lamarck consisted primarily of empirical evidence against the occurrence of transmutation (Rudwick 1997, 226-32) or else criticized Lamarck's theory for being overly speculative (Cuvier 1836), Cuvier's work furnishes a theoretical rationale for thinking that transmutation is not only does not occur but cannot occur. In reconstructing Cuvier's view, I draw both on Cuvier's own writings (Cuvier 1831(Cuvier , 1836Rudwick 1997), as well as on secondary interpretations (Coleman 1964;Burkhardt 1977;Russell 1982;Outram 1986;Appel 1987). Coleman's account is especially interesting, since he explicitly argues that Cuvier was "the high priest of typology" and that this underwrote his opposition to transmutation (Coleman 1964, 98), and yet his own excavation of Cuvier's reasoning reveals a quite different basis for Cuvier's arguments.…”

Section: Cuvierian Functionalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cuvierian Functionalism

Novick¹

2019

Philosophy, Theory, and Practice in Biology

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The rise of evolutionary-developmental biology (evo-devo) is often claimed to mark the return of typological and/or structuralist thinking to evolutionary biology. Proponents of such claims point to evo-devo's emphasis on the deep conservation of animal body plans. Deep conservation requires long-term evolutionary stasis, which is difficult to explain in a Darwinian functionalist framework. Evo-devo biologists must therefore rely on other argumentative strategies to explain deep conservation. I argue, however, that their explanations are not typological or structuralist. Rather, they are Cuvierian functionalist: they recapitulate, in modified form, an argument developed by Georges Cuvier in the nineteenth century. Cuvierian functionalism is distinct from but complementary to Darwinian functionalism. Moreover, Cuvierian functionalism is immune to the traditional objections to typological thinking. Keywords cuvierian functionalism • evo-devo • typology • population thinking • Cuvier, Georges • gene regulatory networks • deep conservationCuvier believed that the radically different organizations of the four embranchements could not change from one to another without a fatal loss of integrated function during the transition. This argument is still a forceful one. -Rudolf Raff (1996, 6)

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Uncertain legislator: Georges Cuvier's laws of nature in their intellectual context

Cited by 70 publications

References 11 publications

Pattern and process: the early classification of snakes

Pattern and process: the early classification of snakes

From Physiology to Classification: Comparative Anatomy and Vicq d'Azyr's Plan of Reform for Life Sciences and Medicine (1774–1794)

Cuvierian Functionalism

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