In the 18th century, the rich debate on the concept of life took on a particular importance, also thanks to the contribution of physicians and scientists from the Faculty of Medicine in Montpellier. This was the origin of what would later be called Montpellier vitalism. In this reformulation of ancient vitalism, life was no longer seen as the expression of a formal principle, but as the result of a force. For this reason, in Montpellier vitalism, the discourse on life and living beings is imbued with materialist features, without losing metaphysical depth. The article reconstructs the debate between the approach of the Montpellier school and the contemporaneous theories of life: mechanism, on the one hand, and Stahl’s animism on the other. It then scrutinizes the positions of Bordeu (who introduces the idea of the vie des organes) and Barthez (who prefers to speak instead of the principe vital), in order to highlight the complexity of the debate within the Montpellier school, and its contribution to the emerging biology.
Der Lebensbegriff nach der Schule von Montpellier
Achella S
2025-01-01
Abstract
In the 18th century, the rich debate on the concept of life took on a particular importance, also thanks to the contribution of physicians and scientists from the Faculty of Medicine in Montpellier. This was the origin of what would later be called Montpellier vitalism. In this reformulation of ancient vitalism, life was no longer seen as the expression of a formal principle, but as the result of a force. For this reason, in Montpellier vitalism, the discourse on life and living beings is imbued with materialist features, without losing metaphysical depth. The article reconstructs the debate between the approach of the Montpellier school and the contemporaneous theories of life: mechanism, on the one hand, and Stahl’s animism on the other. It then scrutinizes the positions of Bordeu (who introduces the idea of the vie des organes) and Barthez (who prefers to speak instead of the principe vital), in order to highlight the complexity of the debate within the Montpellier school, and its contribution to the emerging biology.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
