Abstract

ZUNIGA, NÉSTOR JAVIER. Darwin’s and Goethe’s Conceptions of Nature, Discussed by Three German Philosophers (Nietzsche, Cassirer and Simmel). Acta biol.Colomb. [online]. 2009, vol.14, suppl.1, pp.85-94. ISSN 0120-548X.

In this paper, similarities and differences between the conceptions of nature of Darwin and Goethe are discussed by three German philosophers: Friedrich Nietzsche, Ernst Cassirer and Georg Simmel. The discussion focuses mainly on two issues: first, recognition of the historical method of quirky functional shift by the three philosophers, as a structural principle of historical methodology and second, recognition of differences in explanatory approaches, the Goethe morphological and the Darwinian functionalism. Cassirer and Nietzsche integrate into their philosophies morphological aspects of Goethe’s theory, and while recognizing the importance of Darwin’s theory of historical explanation, reject what they consider the permanence of teleological explanation in the theory of Darwin. Moreover, Simmel establishes a relationship between the ideas of Goethe and Darwin, via the concept of action, through this, attempts to dissolve the dichotomy formalism-functionalism.

Keywords : descentwithmodification; metamorphosis; quirkyfunctionalshift; Germanphilosophy; action.

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