Botany and the Science of History: Nature, Culture, and the Origins of Civilization, circa 1850-1900

Krämer, Fabian; Nickelsen, Kärin und Suffrin, Dana von (2022): Botany and the Science of History: Nature, Culture, and the Origins of Civilization, circa 1850-1900. In: Isis: Journal of the History of Science Society, Bd. 113, Nr. 1: S. 45-62

Abstract

Research has shown that there has often been overlap between the humanities and the sciences. This essay brings to the fore a prominent borderline case in cultural history, where the mix of disciplines that could contribute to its study became an issue of debate. It examines the attempts made by botanists throughout the nineteenth century, culminating around 1900, to call into question the monopoly of the humanities on cultural history. Botanists argued that botanical objects, such as the original forms of ancient grains, were important historical sources, and the renowned Georg Schweinfurth even advocated a new concept of culture that prioritized the sciences. The essay argues that this development is part of the period's discourse on the origins of human civilization, which included more and less productive encounters between the botanical study of the migration and development of plants over time and the study of human history.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Geschichts- und Kunstwissenschaften > Historisches Seminar
• Themengebiete: 900 Geschichte und Geografie > 900 Geschichte
• ISSN: 0021-1753
• Sprache: Englisch