The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World

“He saw the earth as one great living organism where everything was connected, conceiving a bold new vision of nature that still influences the way that we understand the natural world.”

This quote encapsulates the core of Humboldt’s ecological insight, which emerged during his arduous climbs. It highlights his impact on environmental science, introducing the concept of interconnectedness within the ecosystem long before the formal establishment of ecology as a science. Wulf establishes this early on so that subsequent biographical detail is understood in terms of this scientific contribution.

“As he wandered among colourful sugar maples and stately white oaks, Alexander experienced nature as calming and soothing.”

This quote illustrates Humboldt’s early and intimate connection with nature, which played a crucial role in his development as a naturalist. The imagery of Humboldt’s solitary walks through the American trees planted at Tegel encapsulates his burgeoning passion for the natural world. Wulf often uses multiple adjectives to describe one object to reflect Humboldt’s vivid sense of nature.

“For the previous two centuries western society had been dominated by the idea that nature functioned like a complex apparatus—a ‘great and complicated Machine of the Universe’, as one scientist had said.”

This passage provides insight into the prevailing scientific worldview before Humboldt’s influence, whereby nature was seen primarily through a mechanistic lens. It sets the stage for understanding the revolutionary nature of Humboldt’s holistic view of the interconnectedness of the natural world, marking a significant shift from viewing nature as a machine to seeing it as a dynamic, interdependent system. This context underscores the paradigm shift Humboldt’s ideas represented in the scientific community of his time.