Cell Theory and Religious Worldview in the 19th Century: A Study on Theodor Schwann's Unpublished Works

• Applicant: Dr. Florence Vienne
• Subject Area: History of Science
• Term: from 2017 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 391061466

Besides the theory of evolution, cell theory is regarded as biology´s crucial contribution to a modern, secular world view. But whereas Darwins complex relationship with religion has been a topic in history of science for a long time, the bearing of religion on cell theory has hardly been studied so far. This project aims at a contribution to close this gap. It focuses on the unpublished works of the German founder of cell theory, Theodor Schwann (1810-1882), which have received little attention yet. On the basis of his manuscripts from the 1840s to the 1870s, interrelations between his research and his catholic worldview will be closely investigated and placed in a broader cultural context. Schwanns oeuvre will be examined as part of an intellectual current of the second half of the nineteenth century that both rejected a democratic reshaping of society and an understanding of man and nature detached from religion. Parallels and differences between Schwanns ideas and other alternatives to the materialist concepts of this era will be highlighted by a comparison with the writings of Matthias Schleiden (1804-1881). Overall, the project aims to open up a new perspective on the relations between biology, religion and politics in the nineteenth century.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France, USA
• Cooperation Partners: Dr. Lynn Nyhart; Dr. Marion Thomas