Epistemologia em quadros : Alexander von Humboldt e os estudos da vida

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to synthesize the essential aspects of understanding the construction of Alexander von Humboldt's thought, focusing on studies related to life. Although the naturalist is placed at the center, other contributions that shaped his vision of nature are also presented. The methodological approach follows the proposal of Paulo César da Costa Gomes in Quadros Geográficos: uma forma de ver, uma forma de pensar, discussed in the Methodological Framework, which guides the presentation of results through narratives organized in "frameswotks." Gomes draws on the methodology found in Humboldt's works, particularly Views of Nature. In addition to the methodological framework, four other frames are presented, discussing Humboldt's thoughts, experiences, and the concept of life within his work and history. The analysis considers the influence of thinkers such as Kant, Goethe, Schelling, Galvani, and Volta. Humboldt navigated between aspects and conceptions of German natural philosophy and the French positivist tradition. Above all, he endeavored to understand and represent nature, focusing his studies on various forms of scientific experimentation while integrating philosophical conceptions—a relationship between reason and experience that challenged the academic paradigms of the 18th and 19th centuries. The dissertation also integrates aspects of the arts, aiming to align the experiences of the trajectory presented here with reflective effects similar to those embedded in the historical context discussed. An example of this integration is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, which contextualizes the scientific and cultural imagination of the studied period. Beyond the epistemological focus, the proposal seeks to offer an experience that captures the complexity of the relationship between Art, Philosophy, Science, Nature, and Life