jacob von uexkull
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Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
Jakob von Uexküll(1864 - 1944 )
in Hamburg1925 - 1939
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
Jakob von Uexküll (1864 – 1944)
stations of his life
*1864 in Keblas, today Mihkli (Estonia)
father: mayor of Reval (Tallin)Baltic-German nobility
1884-89 University of Dorpat, Tartu (zoology)
1889-1903 Physiologisches Institut der Universität Heidelberg bei
(Wilhelm Kühne (1837-1900)
1892-1903 Naples Zoological Station
1907 Honorary Doctorate, University of Heidelberg
1925 University of Hamburg
1939 retired
† 1944, CapriJakob von Uexküll, ca. 1903
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
Famous Publications
• 1909 Umwelt und Innenwelt der Tiere
• 1920 Theoretische Biologie
• 1934 Streifzüge durch die Umwelten von Tieren und Menschen
• 1936 Niegeschaute Welten.(Reminiscences)
• 1940 Bedeutungslehre
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
from Physiology to a general Biology
„Only the investigation of living beings as subjects can lead physiology onto the right way.And studying subjects means practizing Biology“ (Uexküll 1933)
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
Uexküll‘s renewed Biology
Biology should - study organisms not as objects, but as active subjects that are creating their “Umwelt”
- focus on the organism’s abilities to integrate itself into a
complex environment
“Umweltforschung”: the investigation of: the communicative unity of the organism and the world sensed by it.
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
„Umwelt“
unique phenomenal world embracing each individual, like a “soap bubble”
the world of an animal (human), the perception of which is determined by the animal’s design, it’s activity, needs, etc. the individual organism is always actively creating it’s Umwelt
„The Umwelt of an astronomer“, illustration by Thure v. Uexküll, 1934
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
Funktionskreis – function-circle
Illustrating: – the complex
interrelation of an organism and the objects of its environment.
– the Unity of• sensing and
acting• the subject and the object
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
Summarizing Uexküll’s Biology
The scientist is a subject, and pure objectivity is a myth.
The secrets of life cannot be revealed just by looking for physical or chemical causality.
Organisms are more than mechanisms; their fascinating abilities and behavior are based on sign processes –
perception and transmission of signs to which meaning is ascribedaccording to their significance in different situations.
Terminology of signs: „Merkzeichen, WirkzeichenLokalzeichen, Momentzeichen, Merk – und Wirkmal“
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
Uexküll dicovered as “Cryptosemiotician”
1977 Thomas A. Sebeok:“Jakob von Uexküll - A neglected figures in the history of semiotics.“on the III. Wiener Symposium über Semiotik
1980 Thure von Uexküll: „Komposionslehre der Natur“ (Selected Works)1981/87 „The sign Theory of Jakob von Uexküll“ in Klassiker der Semiotik
1993 Jakob von Uexküll-Centre, Tartu (Estonia), founded in close relation to „Tartu Semiotic School of Yuri Lotman
2001: Special issue of the journal Semiotica:„Jakob von Uexküll – A new paradigm for Biology and Semiotics“
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
Uexkülls outstanding discoveries in Physiology
• Invertebrates have distinct and seperate muscles for tension and contraction
• In simple nerve nets excitation is always flowing to the extended muscle („Uexkülls law“)
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
Some Honours
1907 Dr. med. h.c. Univ Heidelberg
1934 Dr phil. h.c. Univ. Kiel
1936 Dr. Wis-en NaturkundeUniv. Utrecht
1932 Leopoldina in Halle
1944 Goethe Medaille
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
„Hard-science“ in marine research laboratories
Uexküll and L.G. Tirala in Biaritz, 1914
1904-1914:Beck sur merBiaritzRoscoffMonaco
The idea of a „flying aquarium“
1892-1903 NaplesAnton Dohrn‘s Zoological Station
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
Finding Uexküll „his own“ laboratory in Hamburg
Otto Cohnheim (Kestner ) (1873-1953)
Since 1990ies with Uexküll in Heidelberg and Naples 1913 from Heidelberg to Hamburg
Physiologisches Institut – Eppendorf Hospital (Research on Enzymes, Physiology of UV-light, respiration)
1919 Ordinarius of Physiology, University institute Nominated Uexküll for the Nobel-price - twice
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
Hamburg – Laboratorium/Institut für
Umweltforschung 1925-1938 in old Zoological Garten
1925 „wissenschaftlicher Hilfsarbeiter“
„Laboratorium für Umweltforschung“
1927 „außerordentlicher Professor“
Tiergartenstr.1
1935? Visit of Konrad Lorenz
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
First „own“ laboratory
The Aquarium in the old Zoological Garden
(built by William Lloyd in 1870)
„Laboratorium für Umweltforschung“ in the small shop left of the entrance
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
1938 – 1959 in Gurlittstr. 37
1940 Prof. Friedrich Brock (1889-1959) assistent since 1926 successor of Uexküll
1941 Emilie Kiep-Altenloh (1888-1964) (sociologist, politician) associate since 1935heads intitute during the war,teaching guide-dogs essential to war effort
1946 Brock returns
1959 closed after Brocks death
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
Examples of creative research in the institute
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
Friedrich Brock: Interaction of the Hermit crab with the sea anemone (Sagartia).
Funktionskreis; Behausung• 1. crab with a shell house puts
the anemone upon its house-------------------------------------• 2. “naked” crab takes the
anemone as protector until it finds a shell.
-------------------------------------Funktionskreis; Nahrung• 3. If the crab is already in
symbiosis with anemones, than it interprets the appearance of another anemone as a welcome prey, it starts to feed on the animal.
F. Brock (1927): Das Verhalten des Einsiedlerkrebses Pagurus arrosor Herbst während des Aufsuchens, Ablösens und Aufpflanzens einer Seerose(...). Roux‘ Archiv für Entwicklungsmechanik 112Aus: Uexküll J. von, Kriszat G. 1934
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
“subjective space” (Der subjektive Raum) of the animal
- Photographic image represents the human Sehraum. By using a grids with different pitches of the matrix the resolution of the compound eye of a fly (Musca) or the eye of a mussel (Pecten) was emulated - the pitch of the raster, corresponding to the sensory elements in the eyes of the animals. Dots corresponding to “visual locations in the visual space. “Sehorte”
- In order to eliminate the artifacts of the grid, aquarell paintings of the supposed Umwelten were produced:Science-based pieces of art
human
Grid, raster pitch
Musca
Pecten
Uexküll J. v., Brock F. 1927. Atlas zur Bestimmung der Orte in den Sehräumen der Tiere. – Zeitschrift für vergleichende Physiologie 5: 167-178.
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
Applied Umweltforschung: Teaching guide dogs - the method of
Uexküll-Sarris
The cart of the size of a man forces some features (obstacles) of the human Umwelt into the dog‘s Umwelt
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
Intellectual „Umwelt“ in HamburgAdolf Meyer-(Abich) (1893-1971)Philosopher of BiologyHolist
Ernst Cassirer (1874-1945)„Philosophie der symbolischen
Formen“„Essay on man“ (1944)
William Stern (1871-1938)„Persönlichkeitspsychologie“
Heinz Werner„Entwicklungspsychologie“
„Pferdestall“ University building housing the Institute of Psychology
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
1940-1944 Evening of his Life on Capri
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics and Technology - Universität Hamburg
Jakob von Uexküll-Archiv für Umweltforschung und
Biosemiotikat the University of Hamburg
Keeping: books and offprints of Uexküll‘s scientific libraryand the library of the „Institute für Umweltforschung“
Collecting: Uexküll, Umweltforschung, Biosemiotics
www.math.uni-hamburg.de/home/rueting