Darwin-L Message Log 1:270 (September 1993)

Academic Discussion on the History and Theory of the Historical Sciences

This is one message from the Archives of Darwin-L (1993–1997), a professional discussion group on the history and theory of the historical sciences.

Note: Additional publications on evolution and the historical sciences by the Darwin-L list owner are available on SSRN.

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<1:270>From anka@mack.uit.no  Thu Sep 30 11:59:38 1993

Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1993 18:03:10 +0100
To: darwin-l@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu
From: anka@mack.uit.no (Anka Ryall)
Subject: Re: Linnaeus and literature

>I'd like to post a general inquiry to the Darwin list-- a technically
>pre-Darwinian inquiry (unless we choose to consider Erasmus Darwin).  Can
>anyone out there give me any information on the impact of Linnaean
>classification on 18th and 19th century literature?  By literature, I mean
>more than belles-lettres, though I include that (Erasmus Darwin's "The
>Botanic Garden"); any work influenced by Linnaean ideas in philosophy,
>political theory, etc., would hold interest for me.  Whether it's English,
>French, German or whatever is immaterial for my purposes.  I suppose my
>inquiry is left deliberately vague, in the hopes that such vagueness is more
>compatible with fresh answers.  (I'm aware of Gilbert White and John Clare--
>a 19th century figure who had things to say about Linnaeus.)
>
>Thank you.   Eric Miller

A good source is Wolf Lepenies, Das Ende der Naturgeschichte (Suhrkampf
1978) which contains a chapter called "Der Wissenschaftler als Autor"
dealing with Linnaeus and his French contemporary Buffon.

Anka Ryall

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