Stefan Borchers / Johannes Bronisch: Christian Wolff und der Süßwasserpolyp. Zum wissenschaftsgeschichtlichen Quellenwert des Briefwechsels des Philosophen

Christian Wolff’s writings on natural philosophy date from the 1720s, yet his persistent concentration on scientific issues only revealed itself in his extensive correspondence. Up to now, however, Wolff’s correspondence has not been sufficiently utilized as a source for the history of science or the history of philosophy. To one of his major correspondents, Count Ernst Christoph von Manteuffel, Wolff addressed an epistolary treatise in 1743 commenting on Abraham Trembley’s recent discovery of the regeneration of the freshwater polyp. The ability of the polyp to re-form itself into several complete individuals after being cut into pieces raised metaphysical problems because of the indivisibility of the soul. Thus Wolff found it necessary to revise his earlier theory of generation. He used the occasion of the von Manteuffel missive to elaborate on those revisions. In regard to regeneration he modified his former concept of ovo-vermism, opting instead for simple animalculism, and even contemplating a revival of the antiquated concept of spontaneous generation. As a close study of Wolff’s and Réaumur’s theories of regeneration indicates, however, animal regeneration encumbered preformism with massive problems which, in the end, turned out to be insoluble.

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