Emanuel Rádl
Encyclopedia
Emanuel Rádl was an original Czech
biologist
, historian of science
, philosopher
and a critical supporter of Masaryk´s pre-war democratic Czechoslovakia
. He earned international renown by his works on the evolution of neural system and as historian of evolution theories.
(35 km south of Prague
), Rádl studied biology at Charles University in Prague, where he became assistant professor in 1904 and full professor in 1919. He worked on the neural system of insects, on phototropism
and on the evolution of sight
. Influenced by the German biologist and philosopher Hans Driesch, he became interested in philosophy of life
and in a large work The History of Biological Theories (in German 1905–1909, in English 1930; reprint in 1988) he criticized the evolutionism
of the 19th century.
Under the influence of Masaryk he inclined more and more towards philosophical questions, became a critic of scientific positivism
and after the establishment of Czechoslovakia
(1918) a public critic of several contemporary tendencies he considered dangerous. He wrote books on Czech and German nationalism
, on social justice
, on the fundamental differences between the West and the East and very early against the misuse of racial theories and against antisemitism. Together with the Protestant theologian J. L. Hromádka he co-founded the Czech Academic YMCA
and published numerous booklets on various public topics. In 1934 he presided the 8th International Congress of Philosophy in Prague, but after 1935 he was gradually excluded from public life by a serious illness. He died in 1942 in Prague during the German occupation in almost complete isolation. His posthumous book Consolation from Philosophy, in the oppressive mood of war, is a highly personal profession of faith in the lasting values of truth and religion and evoked a lively discussion after its publication in 1946.
In Czech and German:
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
biologist
Biologist
A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
, historian of science
History of science
The history of science is the study of the historical development of human understandings of the natural world and the domains of the social sciences....
, philosopher
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and a critical supporter of Masaryk´s pre-war democratic Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. He earned international renown by his works on the evolution of neural system and as historian of evolution theories.
Life and thought
One of five children of a village merchant's family in PyšelyPyšely
Pyšely is a town in the Czech Republic.- External links :*...
(35 km south of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
), Rádl studied biology at Charles University in Prague, where he became assistant professor in 1904 and full professor in 1919. He worked on the neural system of insects, on phototropism
Phototropism
Phototropism is directional growth in which the direction of growth is determined by the direction of the light source. In other words, it is the growth and response to a light stimulus. Phototropism is most often observed in plants, but can also occur in other organisms such as fungi...
and on the evolution of sight
Visual perception
Visual perception is the ability to interpret information and surroundings from the effects of visible light reaching the eye. The resulting perception is also known as eyesight, sight, or vision...
. Influenced by the German biologist and philosopher Hans Driesch, he became interested in philosophy of life
Vitalism
Vitalism, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is#a doctrine that the functions of a living organism are due to a vital principle distinct from biochemical reactions...
and in a large work The History of Biological Theories (in German 1905–1909, in English 1930; reprint in 1988) he criticized the evolutionism
Evolutionism
Evolutionism refers to the biological concept of evolution, specifically to a widely held 19th century belief that organisms are intrinsically bound to increase in complexity. The belief was extended to include cultural evolution and social evolution...
of the 19th century.
Under the influence of Masaryk he inclined more and more towards philosophical questions, became a critic of scientific positivism
Positivism
Positivism is a a view of scientific methods and a philosophical approach, theory, or system based on the view that, in the social as well as natural sciences, sensory experiences and their logical and mathematical treatment are together the exclusive source of all worthwhile information....
and after the establishment of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
(1918) a public critic of several contemporary tendencies he considered dangerous. He wrote books on Czech and German nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, on social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, on the fundamental differences between the West and the East and very early against the misuse of racial theories and against antisemitism. Together with the Protestant theologian J. L. Hromádka he co-founded the Czech Academic YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
and published numerous booklets on various public topics. In 1934 he presided the 8th International Congress of Philosophy in Prague, but after 1935 he was gradually excluded from public life by a serious illness. He died in 1942 in Prague during the German occupation in almost complete isolation. His posthumous book Consolation from Philosophy, in the oppressive mood of war, is a highly personal profession of faith in the lasting values of truth and religion and evoked a lively discussion after its publication in 1946.
"How to save our civilization from decay? This is the desperate question of our time, the more desperate that no one feels the danger."
Some works
In English:- The history of biological theories. ISBN 978-0781200684
In Czech and German:
- New observations on the phototropism of animals [Nová pozorování o fotoropismu zvířat] (in Czech 1902, in German 1903)
- The history of evolutionary theories [Dějiny vývojových teorií v biologii 19. století] (In German 1905 a 1909, 2nd ed. 1913; in Czech 1909 and 2006)
- A new treaty on the central nerve system [Nová nauka o ústředním nervstvu] (in Czech 1911, in German 1912)
- The romantic science [Romantická věda] (1918)
- The West and the East. Reflections from a journey [Západ a Východ. Filosofické úvahy z cest] (1925)
- The modern science. Its substance, methods, results [Moderní věda. Její podstata, methody, výsledky] (1926)
- The war between Czechs and Germans [Válka Čechů s Němci] (1928)
- A history of philosophy [Dějiny filosofie] (1932)
- On the German revolution [O německé revoluci] (1933)
- Consolation from philosophy [Útěcha z filosofie] (1946)
Books on Rádl
- Hermann – Markoš (eds.), Emanuel Rádl, vědec a filosof. Praha 2004. ISBN 80-7298-107-2 (in Czech)
- J. L. Hromádka, Don Quijote české filosofie. Praha 1947. ISBN 80-86263-66-5 (in Czech)
- Jan PatočkaJan PatockaJan Patočka is considered one of the most important contributors to Czech philosophical phenomenology, as well as one of the most influential central European philosophers of the 20th century...
, Věčnost a dějinnost. Rádlův poměr k pojetím člověka. Praha 2007. ISBN 978-80-7298-256-1 (in Czech)