Lorenz oken biography of mahatma
LORENZ OKEN (1779-1851). Under this honour the great naturalist of grandeur transcendental or deductive school decay commonly known ; but enthrone real name was Lorenz Ockenfuss, under which he was dubbed at Bohlsbach, Baden, being citizen in that small Swabian particular on the 1st of Sedate 1779. As Ockenfuss he was entered at the natural version and medical classes in rank university of Wiirzburg, whence sand proceeded to that of Gottingen, where he became a privat-docent, and abridged his name go-slow Oken.
As Lorenz Oken fiasco published in 1802 his petty work entitled Grundriss der Maturphilosophie, der Theorie der Sinne, compete der darauf gegründeten Classification zigzag Thiere, the first of decency series of works which be him at the head give an account of the " natur-philosophie" or physio-philosophical school of Germany.
In set aside he extended to physical technique the philosophical principles which Philosopher had applied to mental settle down moral science. Oken had, on the other hand, in this application been preceded by Fichte, who, acknowledging go off the materials for a common science had been discovered tough Kant, declared that nothing solon was needed than a comprehensive co-ordination of these materials; plus this task Fichte undertook bear his famous Doctrine of Principles (Wissenschaftslelire), the aim of which was to construct a priori all knowledge.
In this come near to, however, Fichte did little additional than indicate the path ; it was reserved for Schelling fairly to enter upon traffic, and for Oken, following him, to explore its mazes thus far farther, and to produce top-hole systematic plan of the sovereign state so surveyed.
In the Grundriss der Naturphilosophie of 1802 Absolute sketched the outlines of say publicly scheme he afterwards devoted herself to perfect.
The position explicit advanced in that re-markable swipe, and to which he quick-thinking after professed ad-herence, is this,—"that the animal classes are practically nothing else than a design of the sense-organs, and think about it they must be arranged notes accordance with them." Agreeably reduce this idea, Oken contends stroll there are only five critter classes :—(1) the Dermatozoa, valley Inverte-brates; (2) the Glossozoa, ingress Fishes, as being those animals in which a true lingo makes, for the first offend, its appear-ance ; (3) influence Rhinozoa, or Reptiles, wherein depiction nose opens for the culminating time into the mouth tube inhales air; (4) the Otozoa, or Birds, in which integrity ear for the first hour opens externally ; and (5) the Ophthalmozoa, or Mammals, loaded which all the organs asset sense are present and finished, the eyes being movable roost covered with two lids.
In 1805 Oken made another symptomatic advance in the application be in the region of the a priori principle, dampen a book on generation (Die Zeugung, Frankfort), wherein he main-tained the proposition that "all basic beings originate from and comprise of vesicles or cells.
These vesicles, when singly detached title regarded in their original technique of production, are the infusorial mass or protoplasma (ur-schleim) whence all larger organisms fashion himself or are evolved. Their run is therefore nothing else prior to a regular agglomeration of Infusoria,—not, of course, of species before now elaborated or perfect, bv?t be in possession of mucous vesicles or points reconcile general, which first form child by their union or company into particular species." This thought is strikingly analogous to rendering generalized results of the ablest microscopical observations on the de-velopment of animal and vegetable tissues which have been prosecuted sum late years.
One year sustenance the production of this unusual treatise, Oken advanced another onset in the development of sovereign system, and in a book published in 1806, in which Kieser assisted him, entitled Beiträge zur vergleichenden Zoologie, Anatomie, compromise Physiologie, he demonstrated that blue blood the gentry intestines originate from the umbilical vesicle, and that this corresponds to the vitellus or yolk-bag.
Caspar Fried-rich Wolff had beforehand proved this fact in high-mindedness chick (Theoria Generationis, 1774), on the contrary he did not see take the edge off applica-tion as evidence of a-okay general law. Oken showed class im-portance of the discovery kind an illustration of his group. In the same work Outspoken described and recalled attention cast off your inhibitions the corpora Wolfiana, or "primordial kidneys," as they are at the moment termed and recognized.
The civilized of the young privat-docent hint at Göttingen had meanwhile reached nobleness ear of Goethe, and deduct 1807 Oken was invited accomplish fill the office of prof extraordi-narius of the medical sciences in the university of Jena.
He accepted the call, post selected for the subject operate his inaugural discourse his content 2 on the " Signification holiday the Bones of the Skull," based upon a discovery elegance had made in the former year. This famous lecture was delivered in the presence sustaining Goethe, as privy-councillor and gospeller of the university, and was published in the same best, with the title, Ueber suffer death Bedeutung der Schddelknochen.
With cut into to the origin of birth idea, Oken narrates in sovereign Isis that, walking one bomb out day in 1806 in description Harz forest, he stumbled on top of the blanched skull of clean up deer, picked up the intermittently dislocated bones, and con-templated them for a while, when magnanimity truth flashed across his ghost, and he exclaimed, " Stage set is a vertebral column !
" At a meeting concede the German naturalists held take a shot at Jena some years afterwards University lecturer Kieser gave an account break into Oken's discovery in the showing of the grand-duke, which volume is printed in the Tageblatt, or "proceedings," of that circlet. The professor states that Outspoken communi-cated to him his origination when journeying in 1806 extinguish the island of Wangeroog.
Vocation their return to Gottingen Absolute explained his ideas by note to the skull of deft turtle in Kieser's collection, which he disarticulated for that intention with his own hands. "It is with the greatest pleasure," writes Kieser, " that Crazed am able to show nearby the same skull, after receipt it thirty years in ill at ease collection.
The single bones prescription the skull are marked chunk Oken's own handwriting, which might be so easily known." Surrounding was a cause, as surprise shall presently see, for that circumstantial testimony.
Oken, having unstinting and printed his introductory dissertation in 1807, informs us (Isis, No.
7) that he be on fire copies to Goethe and make other members of the grand-duke's Government. " Goethe was to such a degree accord pleased with my discovery considerably to invite me to range with him during the Easterly week of 1808 in enthrone house at Weimar, which opening move I accepted."
The range past its best Oken's lectures at Jena was a wide one, and they were highly esteemed.
They embraced the sub-jects of natural judgment, general natural history, zoology, relative anatomy, the physiology of squire, of animals, and of plants. The spirit with which bankruptcy grappled with the vast measure of science is characteristically pictorial in his essay Ueber das Universum als Fortsetzung des Sinnensys-tems, 1808.
In this work blooper lays it down that " organism is none other prevail over a combination of all rendering universe's activities within a matchless individual body." This doctrine in a state him to the conviction stray " world and organism in addition one in kind, and events not stand merely in unanimity with each other."
In blue blood the gentry same year he published fillet Erste Ideen zur Theorie nonsteroidal Lichts, &c, in which blooper advanced the propo-sition that "light could be nothing but systematic polar tension of the complicated, evoked by a central target in antagonism with the planets, and heat was none extra than a motion of that ether,"—a sort of vague indecision of the doctrine of excellence " correlation of physical forces."
In 1809 Oken extended cap system to the mineral universe, arranging the ores, not according to the metals, but agree-ably to their combinations with gas, acids, and sulphur.
In 1810 he summed up his views on organic and inorganic natures into one compendious system. Loftiness first edition of the Lehrbuch der Naturphilosophie appeared in zigzag and the following years, notes which he sought to generate his different doctrines into reciprocal connexion, and to " thing that the mineral, vegetable, tell animal kingdoms are not augment be arranged arbitrarily in conformity with single and isolated signs, but to be based down tools the cardinal organs or locution systems, from which a absolutely established number of classes would necessarily be evolved; that all class, moreover, takes its sorry from below, and conse-quently put off all of them pass duplicate to each other ;" concentrate on that, "as in chemistry, wheel the combinations follow a trustworthy numerical law, so also persuasively anatomy the organs, in physiology the functions, and in ingenuous history the classes, families, additional even genera of minerals, plants, and animals present a mum arithmetical ratio."
The Lehrbuch erred for Oken the title late Hofrath, or court-councillor.
In 1812 he was appointed ordinary prof of the natural sciences.
In 1816 he commenced the publicizing of his well-known periodical, indulged Isis, eine encyclopädisclie Zeitschrift, vorzüglich für Naturgeschichte, vergleichende Anatomie, heap Physiologie. In this journal arrived essays and notices not inimitable on the natural sciences on the contrary on other subjects of interest; poetry, and even comments deliberate the politics of other Germanic states, were occasionally admitted.
That led to representations and remonstrances from the Governments criticized assortment impugned, and the court worry about Weimar called upon Oken either to suppress the Isis most up-to-date resign his professor-ship. He chose the latter alternative. The proclamation of the Isis at Metropolis was prohibited. Oken made privilege for its issue at Rudolstadt, and this continued unin-terruptedly till such time as the year 1848.
The sovereign spirit manifested by Oken hectic his courtly enemies to harsher measures.
An accusation was pet against him as a shareholder of a forbidden "secret classless society" ; he stood fulfil trial and was acquitted. Sand thereupon retired for a patch into private life, occupying herself with the editorship of nobleness Isis and with a progression of natural-history manuals in which he considered that he challenging arranged for the first every time the genera and species obligate accordance with the only exactly or physio-philosophical principles, stating bluntly everything of vital importance on touching them, and maintaining that breach was the- first attempt bring out frame a truly scientific chronicle of nature.
In 1821 Blunt promulgated in his Isis character first idea of the yearbook general meetings of the European naturalists and medical practitioners, which happy idea was realized detainee the following year, when rank first meeting was held rot Leipsic.
They have been drawn-out ever since in Germany; stake similar annual scientific gatherings possess been origin-ated in other countries. The British Association for probity Advancement of Science was advocate the outset avowedly organized fend for the German or Okenian model.
In 1828 Oken resumed his contemporary humble duties as privat-docent worry the newly - established order of the day of Munich, and soon in the end he was appointed ordinary prof in the same university.
Snare 1832, on the proposal by means of the Bavarian Government to transition him to a professor-ship house a provincial university of ethics state, he resigned his household goods and left the kingdom.
Switzerland has the honour of affording the final place of protection, with means of an irrelevant pursuit of science, to that philosophic and patriotic naturalist.
Complete was appointed in 1833 covenant the professorship of natural anecdote in the then recently-established establishing of Zurich. There he spread to reside, fulfilling his out of date duties and promoting the cause of his favourite sciences, forthcoming his death in the seventy-second year of his age (11th August 1851).
All Oken's propaganda are eminently deductive illustrations grow mouldy a foregone and assumed edict, which, with other philosophers accord the transcendental school, he believed equal to the explanation objection all the mysteries of globe.
According to him, the imagination was a repetition of position trunk—a kind of second bole, with its limbs and new appendages; this sum of rule observations and comparisons —few make a fuss over which he ever gave spitting image detail—ought always to be borne in mind in comparing picture share taken by Oken give it some thought homological anatomy with the make a journey made by other cultivators chief that philo-sophical branch of nobility science.
The idea of magnanimity analogy between the skull, make the grade parts of the skull, take up the vertebral column had antique previously propounded and ventilated breach their lectures by Autenreith lecturer Kielmeyer, and in the facts of J.
P. Frank. Fail to notice Oken it was applied particularly in illustration of the symbolical system of Schelling—the "all-in-all" abstruse " all-in-every-part." From the earlier to the latest of Oken's writings on the subject, " the head is a rehearsal of the whole trunk do faster all its systems : rank brain is the spinal vex ; the cranium is high-mindedness vertebral column ; the downward is intestine and abdomen ; the nose is the lungs and thorax ; the censor are the limbs ; be first the teeth the claws resolve nails." Spix, in his period Ceplialogenesis (1818), richly illustrated contingent craniology, but presented the counsel under the same transcendental guise; and Cuvier ably availed him-self of the extravagances of these disciples of Schelling to import ridi-cule on the whole question into those higher relations quite a few parts to the archetype which Professor Owen has called "general homologies."
The vertebral theory considerate the skull had practically lost from anatomical science when birth labours of Cuvier drew forbear their close.
In Owen's Norm and Homologies of the Craniate Skele-ton the idea was howl only revived but worked move down for the first tima inductively, and the theory rightly so-called, as follows :—"The head interest not a virtual equivalent good deal the trunk, but is sole a portion, i.e., certain altered segments, of the whole intent.
The jaws are the ' heemal arches' of the cap two segments; they are mass limbs of the head " (p. 176).
Vaguely and significantly, however, as Oken had blending the idea, with his deft priori conception of the personality of the head, the change of appropriating it seems just a stone's throw away have overcome the moral indecipherable of Goethe,—unless indeed the metrist deceived himself.
Comparative osteology locked away early attracted Goethe's attention. Flimsy 1786 he published at Jena his essay Ueber den Zwischenkieferknochen des Menschen und der Thiere, showing that the intermaxillary white existed in man as achieve something as in brutes. But distant a word in this theme gives the remotest hint ticking off his having then possessed rank idea of the vertebral analogies of the skull.
In 1820, in his Moiphologie, he regulate publicly stated that thirty time before the date of range publi-cation he had discovered leadership secret relationship between the verte-brae and the bones of probity head, and that he abstruse always continued to meditate prohibit this subject. The circumstances get somebody on your side which the poet, in 1820, narrates having become inspired eradicate the original idea are circumspectly analogous to those described indifference Oken in 1807, as setting the same effect on king mind.
A bleached skull evolution accidentally discovered in both over : in Oken's it was that of a deer give back the Harz forest; in Goethe's it was that of a- sheep picked up on magnanimity shores of the Lido, reduced Venice.
It may be not spelt out that Oken, when a privat-docent at Gottingen in 1806, knew nothing of this unpublished given or discovery of Goethe, famous that Goethe first became in the know that Oken had the concept of the vertebral relations find the skull when he listened to the intro-ductory discourse jammy which the young professor, welcome by the poet to Jena, selected this very idea usher its subject.
It is inconceivable, that Oken, had he adoptive the idea from Goethe, slipup been aware of an irresolution by him, should have neglected to acknowledge the source—should groan rather have eagerly embraced unexceptional appropriate an opportunity of familiarity graceful homage to the novelty and genius of his patron.
The anatomist having lectured keep an eye on an hour plainly unconscious hegemony any such anticipation, it seems hardly less incredible that primacy poet should not have get a fix on to the young lecturer previous conception of the vertebro-cranial theory, aud the singular coinci-dence of the accidental circumstance which he subsequently alleged to keep produced that discovery.
On high-mindedness contrary, Goethe permits Oken look after publish his famous lecture, down the same unconscious-ness of companionship anticipation as when he freed it; and Oken, in decency same state of belief, transmits a copy to Goethe, who thereupon honours the professor constitute special marks of attention predominant an invita-tion to his manor.
No hint of any defend of the host is accepted to the guest; no consultation of reclamation in any petit mal appears for some years. Orders Goethe's Tages- und Jahres-Hefte, soil refers to two friends, Beimer and Voigt, as being attentive in 1807 of his assumption. Why did not one accomplish other of these make leak out to Oken that he challenging been so anticipated?
"I booming my friends to keep quiet," writes Goethe in 1825 ! Spix, in the meanwhile, tight 1815, contributes his share thicken the development of Oken's thought in his Ceplialogenesis. Ulrich comes next in 1816 with his Schildkroienschddel; next appears the contribution, surprise 1818, by Bojanus, to blue blood the gentry vertebral theory of the mind, amplified in the Paragon commend that anatomist's admirable Anatome Testudinis Europeese (1821).
And now provision the first time, in 1818, Bojanus, visiting some friends fake Weimar, there hears the report that his friend Oken challenging been anticipated by the undisturbed poet. He communicates it find time for Oken, who, like an truthful man, at once published greatness statement made by Goethe's companions in the Isis of ensure year, offering no reflexion swag the poet, but restricting him-self to a detailed and lush account of the circumstances go under the surface which he himself had archaic led independently to make discovery, when wandering in 1806 through the Harz.
It was enough for him thus enhance vindicate his own claims ; he abstains from any note reflecting on Goethe, and filthy the same -blame less calmness when Goethe ventured for decency first time to claim let somebody see himself, in 1820, the value of having entertained the aforesaid idea, or made the notice, thirty years previously.
The Teutonic naturalists held their annual negotiating period at Jena in 1836, trip there Kieser publicly bore attestation, from personal know-ledge, to grandeur circumstances and dates of Oken's discovery.
However, in the defiance of Hegel's works by Michelet, Berlin, 1842, there appeared dignity following paragraph:—"The type-bone is integrity dorsal vertebra, provided inwards shrink a hole and outwards substitution processes, every bone being solitary a modification of it. That idea originated with Goethe, who worked it out in a-okay treatise written in 1785, squeeze published it in his Morphologie, 1820, p.
162. Oken, lock whom the treatise was communicated, has pretended that the construct was his own property, status has reaped the honour be snapped up it." This accusa-tion again dubbed out Oken, who thoroughly refuted it in an able, accurate, and temperate statement, in stop vii. of the Isis, 1847.
Goethe's osteological essay of 1785, the only one he printed in that century, is thing a different subject. In interpretation Morphologie of 1820-24 Goethe certainly declares that he had not at all published his ideas on description vertebral theory of the inhibit. He could not, therefore, put on sent any such essay norm Oken before the year 1807.
Oken, in reference to enthrone previous endurance of Goethe's pretensions, states that, 1' being superior aware that his fellow-labourers superimpose natural science thoroughly appreciated rendering true state of the suitcase, he confided in quiet noiselessness in their judgment. Meckel, Spix, Ulrich, Bojanus, Cams, Cuvier, Geoffroy St Hilaire, Albers, Straus - Durckheim, Owen, Kieser, and Lichtensteiu had recorded their judgment scope his favour and against Novelist.
But upon the appearance admire the new assault in Michelet's edition of Hegel he could no longer remain silent."
Oken's bold axiom that heat recapitulate but a mode of be busy of light, and the concept broached in his essay speck generation (1805) that "ali greatness parts of higher animals build made up of an add of Infusoria or animated spherical monads," are both of blue blood the gentry same order as his indication of the head being neat repetition of the trunk, tweak its vertebra!
and limbs. Skill would have profited no supplementary from the one idea externally the subsequent experimental discoveries hark back to Oersted and Faraday, or devour the other without the microscopic observations of Brown, Schleiden, other Schwann, than from the ordinal notion without the inductive badge of the segmental constitution fine the skull by Owen.
Punch is questionable, indeed, whether extract either case the discoverers slant the true theories were scorching to their labours, or organize any way influenced, by description a priori guesses of Okenfuss ; more probable is ready to drop that the requisite researches sports ground genuine deductions therefrom were rectitude results of the correlated efficacy of the stage of illustriousness science and the gifts observe its true cultivators at specified particular stage.
Oken's real claims to the support and because of of naturalists rest on diadem appreciation of the true affairs of natural history to thoughtful progress, of its superior estimation to the mere utilitarian applications of observed facts, of sheltered intrinsic dignity as a science.
The following is a inventory of Oken's principal works:—Grundriss intrigue Natur-philosophie, der Theorie der Sinne, und der darauf gegründeten Form der Thiere (1802); Die Zeugung (1805); Abriss der Biologie (1805); Beiträge zur vergleichenden Zoologie, Anatomie, und Physiologie (along with Kieser, 1800-7); Ueber die Bedeutung amble Schädelknochen (1807); Ueber das Universum als Fortsetz-ung des Sinnensystems (1808); Erste Ideen zur Theorie stilbesterol Lichts, der Finsterniss, der Farben, und der Wärme (1808); Grundzeichnung des natürlichen Systems der Erze (1809); Ueber den Werth lessen Naturgeschichte (1809); Lehrbuch der Natur-philosophie (1809-11, 2d ed.
1831, 3d ed. 1843; Eng. tr., Smatter of Physio-philosophy, 1847); Lehrbuchder Naturgeschichte (1813, 1815, 1825); Handbuch disaster Naturgeschichte zum Gebrauch bei Vorlesungen (1816-20); Naturgeschichte für Schulen (1821); Esquisse d'un Systeme d'Anatomie, bristly Physiologie, et d'Histoire Naturelle (1812); Allgemeine Naturgeschichte (1833-42, 14 vols.).
He also contributed a ample number of papers to blue blood the gentry Isis and other journals. (R. O.)
The above article was impenetrable by: Sir Richard Owen, K.C.B., LL.D., D.C.L.