Vitalism and the Origin of Biosocial Thought

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In the study of biology and medicine and the human sciences, scientists and physicians have generally been divided into two camps: vitalists and materialists. Vitalists argue that the phenomena of life entail something sui generis, something which provides sensibility, force, function, organization, "vitality," harmony and integration to matter. Materialists argue that the phenomena of life can ultimately be entirely explained by means of the standard laws of physics and chemistry. Like all generalizations, this attempt to divide scientists and physicians into two distinct camps over-simplifies very complex issues; but these generalizations also serve as a useful heuristic in examining the scientific goals of scientists. In the history of biology, the debate between vitalists and materialists, there have been several classic confrontations. The most famous involved Louis Pasteur in the 19th century. Another in the 18th century was between a British Jesuit, Tuberville Needham, and an Italian priest, Abbe Lazzaro Spallanzani. The debate continues to the present. Every time the issue seems to be resolved in favor of the materialists, however, the vitalists surge back with new arguments and experiments to convey the force of their ideas. Dr. Williams, under this research grant, is examining the origins of modern vitalist theory as it developed in Montpellier in southern France and the impact Montpellier vitalism had on biosocial thought to 1850. Montpellier was the home of an ancient and prestigious medical school and of the sole learned society in provincial France to compare in scope and reputation to the Academie des Sciences in Paris. Dr. Williams is exploring the social, cultural, and intellectual environment of Montpellier; the doctrines and teachings of the leading Montpellier figures; and the influence exerted by Montpellier on diverse theorists who extrapolated models for social "life" from the study of vital systems. She is investigating both concrete institutional and sociopolitical linkages among the actors and intellectual filliations established by linguistic, epistemological, and conceptual affinities. This study's significance lies in its showing how and why Montpellier fosters a decisive reorientation of the life sciences, especially in France, and encouraged the emergence of biosocial thought.