The thesis of the book is that in the early modern period, literature claimed precedence over the observation of nature. There were shifts through phases of temporary parity, the priority of natural sciences in the 19th century, and their critique by literature in the 20th century. These developments are presented in France and the Spanish-speaking world, while also considering Germany and England: While Montaigne, Pedro Mexía, Pérez de Oliva, Vives, and Gracián prioritize literature, Pascal contrasts the "esprit de finesse" with the "esprit de géométrie," opening a controversy that Linnaeus and Buffon continue. Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire orient themselves toward the English model, where Locke and Hume introduce empirical sciences whose advances Rousseau critiques. In the 19th century, Balzac and Pérez Galdós engage with the natural sciences, with Zola later looking to Darwin and Comte as role models. Finally, the aporias of scientific thinking are highlighted by Ortega y Gasset, Borges, and Sábato.
It is shown how, in the early modern period, literature appeared to have priority over the natural sciences, while a sort of parity emerged in the 18th century. In the 19th century, the natural sciences became predominant, and literature oriented itself towards them. By the 20th century, voices emerged that criticized the priority of the natural sciences. Special attention will be given to the discussion of these developments in France and the Spanish-speaking world, while also considering the conditions in Germany and England.
The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence. A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content.
This book is a translation of an original German edition. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation.
