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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 18: Wallace On The Balance Of Nature, Charles H. Smith
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 18: Wallace On The Balance Of Nature, Charles H. Smith
Faculty/Staff Personal Papers
Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) had a unique perspective on the ‘balance of nature’: he avoided classical thoughts on the subject, but nevertheless seems to have adopted elements of the ‘balance’ concept while acknowledging that irreversible change occurs at both the biological and environmental levels. Wallace’s position can be understood from his grounding in Humboldtian ‘equilibrium of forces’ thinking, and his turn toward ‘final causes’-based interpretations.
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 16: The Flexible Wallace, Charles H. Smith
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 16: The Flexible Wallace, Charles H. Smith
Faculty/Staff Personal Papers
Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913), though a naturalist of considerable renown, has sometimes been accused of inflexibility and inconsistency in his thinking. Many of his critics, however, ignore his basic approach to knowledge accumulation, which was explicitly incremental, based on a perceived need for constant reconsideration. Here, I: (1) identify five groups of Wallace critics who seem to be operating with prior agendas, and (2) provide lists of subjects on which he either changed his mind, or remained constant, according to individual situation.
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 17: More On The South Asian Connection, Charles H. Smith
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 17: More On The South Asian Connection, Charles H. Smith
Faculty/Staff Personal Papers
During his school years the arts and cultural historian and metaphysician Ananda Coomaraswamy (1877-1947) was clearly influenced by Alfred Russel Wallace, and is known later to have corresponded with, and supplied information to, him. Up to now the connections involved had been obscure, but a new investigation suggests that Wallace had previously interacted with Ananda’s mother and/or father.
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 15. Wallace's Many "Hats": What Should We Call Him?, Charles H. Smith
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 15. Wallace's Many "Hats": What Should We Call Him?, Charles H. Smith
Faculty/Staff Personal Papers
Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) has been referred to by name through the aid of a variety of labels – some thirty or more, in fact – that link him to his emphases of attention. How many of these labels are/were justifiable? The assessment here is that he is probably best remembered as a ‘naturalist,’ ‘geographer,’ ‘evolutionist,’ and ‘social critic.’
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 8: Wallace's Earliest Exposures To The Writings Of Alexander Von Humboldt, Charles H. Smith
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 8: Wallace's Earliest Exposures To The Writings Of Alexander Von Humboldt, Charles H. Smith
Faculty/Staff Personal Papers
For many years it has been known that the German geographer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) exercised a considerable influence on Alfred Russel Wallace’s (1823-1913) decision to become a travelling naturalist. Almost no attention, however, has been given to the real possibility that von Humboldt exerted an even greater influence on Wallace’s general worldview. In this note, Wallace’s probable earliest contacts with von Humboldt’s writings are described.