A History of Biology by Michel Morange

Michel Morange, Professor Emeritus at the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Techniques at the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne, has made a truly remarkable sweep of the history of biology ranging from Aristotle, whom he calls “without doubt the father of biology” to the present. Published in French in 2016, it is now available in an English translation published by Princeton University Press in 2021. Morange’s confidence and competence in dealing with different periods and different sub-disciplines of biology uniformly is impressive. Generally, our knowledge rapidly declines as we move away from our disciplines and even within our disciplines as we move back in time. To see all historical periods and all sub-disciplines of biology treated with the same breadth and depth and in a standardized manner felt almost surreal to me. Morange’s narrative is filled with fascinating facts, perceptive discussions of the contemporary relevance of historical developments, and profound philosophical syntheses.

“A History of Biology” is accessible to all, but I think it is especially suitable for two groups of people—those in my age group who can compare Morange’s take on various topics with the views that we ourselves have developed throughout our careers and, the beginning PhD student in any branch of biology. The latter will be able to embark on her research programme with a firm foundation that will enable her to embed her work in  the much-needed historical and disciplinary perspective, giving her a sense of her place in history. It is also a great resource to teach an advanced seminar course in which students can be challenged to add brief sections to Morange’s narrative where they sense a vital omission or re-write a section differently where they disagree with the author. If done artistically, the text should read smoothly without leaving a scar that might reveal that something has been added or changed by someone other than the author—providing a justification to upgrade the student’s grade from A to S.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58232016-a-history-of-biology

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