Reevaluating evolutionary paradigms: The impact of Darwin's competitive vision and Humboldt'sholistic approach on modern ecology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2447-2158.i18p137-147Palabras clave:
Charles Darwin, Alexander von Humboldt, Evolution, Natural selection, EcologyResumen
This article critically examines the contrasting perspectives of Charles Darwin and Alexander von Humboldt on evolution and the interconnectedness of nature, arguing that Darwin's emphasis on competition has contributed to contemporary ecological crises. While Darwin's theory of natural selection revolutionized biological sciences by focusing on individual competition and the "survival of the fittest," it reflects the competitive and anthropocentric values of Victorian England. In contrast, Humboldt's holistic vision, articulated in his work Kosmos, emphasizes the intricate interdependencies within ecosystems, anticipating modern ecological principles. By exploring the cultural contexts that shaped their theories, this article contends that the widespread adoption of Darwin's competitive framework has fostered exploitative attitudes toward nature, legitimizing environmental degradation and contributing to the current ecological crisis. Embracing Humboldt's interconnected perspective is posited as essential for addressing ecological catastrophes by promoting sustainable practices and fostering a more harmonious relationship with the natural world.
Descargas
Referencias
BARABÁSI, A.-L., & ALBERT, R. (1999). Emergence of Scaling in Random Networks. Science, 286(5439), 509–512.
BERKES, F. (2012). Sacred Ecology (3rd ed.). Routledge.
BOWLER, P. J. (1976). Malthus, Darwin, and the Concept of Struggle. Journal of the History of Ideas, 37(4), 631–650.
CAPRA, F. (1996). The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems. Anchor Books.
CARSON, R. (1962). Silent Spring. Houghton Mifflin.
CUNNINGHAM, A., & JARDINE, N. (Eds.). (1990). Romanticism and the Sciences. Cambridge University Press.
DARWIN, C. (1859). On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. John Murray.
DESMOND, A., & MOORE, J. (1991). Darwin: The Life of a Tormented Evolutionist. W.W. Norton & Company.
EGERTON, F. N. (2009). A Centennial History of the Ecological Society of America. ESA.
FOLKE, C., et al. (2016). Resilience Thinking: Integrating Resilience, Adaptability and Transformability. Ecology and Society, 15(4), 20.
FOSTER, J. B. (2000). Marx's Ecology: Materialism and Nature. Monthly Review Press.
FOSTER, J. B., & CLARK, B. (2016). The Anthropocene Metaphor: Human, Nature, and Climate Change. Monthly Review, 67(6), 1–13.
GADGIL, M., BERKES, F., & FOLKE, C. (1993). Indigenous Knowledge for Biodiversity Conservation. Ambio, 22(2/3), 151–156.
GASCOIGNE, J. (2003). The Enlightenment and the Origins of European Australia. Cambridge University Press.
GOULD, S. J. (1988). An Urchin in the Storm: Essays about Books and Ideas. W.W. Norton & Company.
GRUMBINE, R. E. (1994). What Is Ecosystem Management? Conservation Biology, 8(1), 27–38.
GUNDERSON, L. H., & HOLLING, C. S. (Eds.). (2002). Panarchy: Understanding Transformations in Human and Natural Systems. Island Press.
HOBSBAWM, E. J. (1968). Industry and Empire. Penguin Books.
HOFSTADTER, R. (1955). Social Darwinism in American Thought. Beacon Press.
HUMBOLDT, A. von. (1845). Kosmos: Entwurf einer physischen Weltbeschreibung. J.G. Cotta.
HUMBOLDT, A. von, & Bonpland, A. (1807). Essay on the Geography of Plants. T. Gillet.
JACKSON, T. (2009). Prosperity without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet. Earthscan.
JANZEN, D. H. (1980). When Is It Coevolution? Evolution, 34(3), 611–612.
KATZ, E. (1999). A Pragmatic Reconsideration of Anthropocentrism. Environmental Ethics, 21(4), 377–390.
KORHONEN, J., NUUR, C., FELDMANN, A., & BIRKIE, S. E. (2018). Circular Economy as an Essentially Contested Concept. Journal of Cleaner Production, 175, 544–552.
KREMEN, C., & OSTFELD, R. S. (2005). A Call to Ecologists: Measuring, Analyzing, and Managing Ecosystem Services. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 3(10), 540–548.
KROPOTKIN, P. (1902). Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution. Heinemann.
LEVIN, S. A. (1998). Ecosystems and the Biosphere as Complex Adaptive Systems. Ecosystems, 1(5), 431–436.
LEVINS, R., & Lewontin, R. (1985). The Dialectical Biologist. Harvard University Press.
LIVINGSTONE, D. N. (2003). Putting Science in Its Place: Geographies of Scientific Knowledge. University of Chicago Press.
MARGULIS, L. (1970). Origin of Eukaryotic Cells. Yale University Press.
MAZZOCCHI, F. (2006). Western Science and Traditional Knowledge. EMBO Reports, 7(5), 463–466.
MEA (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment). (2005). Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Synthesis. Island Press.
MERCHANT, C. (1980). The Death of Nature: Women, Ecology, and the Scientific Revolution. Harper & Row.
MILLER, G. T. (2005). Living in the Environment (14th ed.). Brooks/Cole.
MOROWITZ, H. J. (2002). The Emergence of Everything: How the World Became Complex. Oxford University Press.
NÆSS, A. (1973). The Shallow and the Deep, Long-Range Ecology Movement. Inquiry, 16(1-4), 95–100.
ODUM, E. P. (1983). Basic Ecology. Saunders College Publishing.
PAUL, D. B. (1988). The Selection of the "Survival of the Fittest". Journal of the History of Biology, 21(3), 411–424.
PETERSON, G., ALLEN, C. R., & HOLLING, C. S. (1998). Ecological Resilience, Biodiversity, and Scale. Ecosystems, 1(1), 6–18.
PORTER, R. (2000). The Creation of the Modern World: The Untold Story of the British Enlightenment. W.W. Norton & Company.
PRATT, M. L. (1992). Imperial Eyes: Travel Writing and Transculturation. Routledge.
RICHARDS, R. J. (2002). The Romantic Conception of Life: Science and Philosophy in the Age of Goethe. University of Chicago Press.
ROCKSTRÖM, J., et al. (2009). A Safe Operating Space for Humanity. Nature, 461(7263), 472–475.
SHAPIN, S. (1996). The Scientific Revolution. University of Chicago Press.
SMITH, A. (1776). An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. W. Strahan and T. Cadell.
SOLE, R. V., & BASCOMPTE, J. (2006). Self-Organization in Complex Ecosystems. Princeton University Press.
SOULÉ, M. E., & WILCOX, B. A. (Eds.). (1980). Conservation Biology: An Evolutionary-Ecological Perspective. Sinauer Associates.
SPENCER, H. (1864). Principles of Biology. Williams and Norgate.
THOMPSON, J. N. (2005). The Geographic Mosaic of Coevolution. University of Chicago Press.
WHITE, L. Jr. (1967). The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis. Science, 155(3767), 1203–1207.
WORSTER, D. (1994). Nature's Economy: A History of Ecological Ideas (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
WULF, A. (2015). The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World. Knopf.
YOUNG, R. M. (1985). Darwinism Is Social. In D. Kohn (Ed.), The Darwinian Heritage (pp. 609–638). Princeton University Press.
Descargas
Publicado
Número
Sección
Licencia
Derechos de autor 2025 Richard Montgomery
Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial 4.0.
Autores que publicam nesta revista concordam com os seguintes termos:
- Autores mantém os direitos autorais e concedem à revista o direito de primeira publicação, com o trabalho simultaneamente licenciado sob a Licença Creative Commons Attribution na modalidade "Atribuição-NãoComercial 4.0 Internacional" (CC BY-NC 4.0) que permite o compartilhamento do trabalho com reconhecimento da autoria e publicação inicial nesta revista.
- Autores têm autorização para assumir contratos adicionais separadamente, para distribuição não-exclusiva da versão do trabalho publicada nesta revista (ex.: publicar em repositório institucional ou como capítulo de livro), com reconhecimento de autoria e publicação inicial nesta revista.
- Autores têm permissão e são estimulados a publicar e distribuir seu trabalho online (ex.: em repositórios institucionais ou na sua página pessoal) a qualquer ponto antes ou durante o processo editorial, já que isso pode gerar alterações produtivas, bem como aumentar o impacto e a citação do trabalho publicado (Veja O Efeito do Acesso Livre).
- Qualquer dúvida ou reclamação sobre direitos autorais devem ser direcionadas ao Conselho Editorial o qual apreciará e se manifestará conforme as diretrizes do Committee on Publications Ethics (COPE).
