The Order of the Nature and Status of Natural Knowledge. On Epistemological Consequence of the 17th Century Conception of Fauna and Flora Cover Image

Porządek przyrody a status wiedzy przyrodniczej. O epistemologicznych konsekwencjach XVII-wiecznej wizji przyrody ożywionej
The Order of the Nature and Status of Natural Knowledge. On Epistemological Consequence of the 17th Century Conception of Fauna and Flora

Author(s): Zbigniew Pietrzak
Subject(s): Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Epistemology
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku
Keywords: Jean Baptista Lamarck; John Ray; order of the nature; epistemology

Summary/Abstract: J. B. Lamarck begins his opus The Philosophy of Zoology from considerations on credibility of ways of making different classifications of living organisms pointing out the reasons for their inadequacy. Although Lamarck’s work was written at the beginning of the 19th century, it brought up the problems about the subject that had emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries as well. Every classification reflects the current state of knowledge about nature – with all its false and true assessments. Thus by observing the changes in animal systematics, such as those proposed by John Ray, one can discuss changes in the knowledge of nature, the changes in its methods, terms and changes of Natural Science status.

  • Issue Year: 1/2015
  • Issue No: XXVII
  • Page Range: 221-240
  • Page Count: 20
  • Language: Polish