Abstract
Written in 1970 and unpublished until now. The confrontation attempted in “Models…” (Chap. 6) between the species concept in contemporary biology and Platonic philosophy, which served to cast light on biology, here serves instead to elucidate Plato. We wish to show that Plato, in his critical analysis of the ‘Ideas’ in the Parmenides dialogue, speaks of the very problems that are also our concern.
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Notes
- 1.
This text was first published in: The Unity of Nature (New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1980), pp. 357–378, is a translation by Francis J. Zucker of: Die Einheitder Natur (Munich: Hanser, 1971): IV.5.
- 2.
The text “Matter, Energy, Information” is reprinted as Chap. 11 in: Michael Drieschner (ed.): Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker: Major Texts in Physics (Cham et al.: Springer-Verlag, 2014) and was originally published in: The Unity of Nature (New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1980), pp. 274–294; it was translated by Francis J. Zucker from: Die Einheit der Natur (Munich: Hanser, 1971): III.5.
- 3.
Biologists have talked to me on several occasions of the oversimplified presentation of the species problem here and in “Models…”. I have evidently failed to point out the context in which this presentation is meant to be understood. Although in constant use, and thus clearly pragmatically useful, the species concept cannot, on the other hand, be justified theoretically. The definition of a species as a class of interbreeding organisms is sometimes not adhered to (as in the case of plants, where finer subdivisions are still counted as species); the definition is also insufficient in principle, since among three geographical varieties A, B, and C, A may be able to interbreed with B, and B with C, but not A with C. The concept is therefore non-transitive and cannot serve as a basis for classification. Why, nevertheless, is the species concept so useful? It is here that the pointer to the theory of selection implied in the concept of the ecological niche serves as at least a rough explanation. I presuppose the feasibility of such an explanation here, as I did in “Models…”, and do not wish to claim more. The Platonic ‘Ideas of things’ must, in accordance with Plato's own teachings, show a vagueness similar to the species concept’s.
- 4.
See Picht (1960).
- 5.
I quote Plato in the translation by F. M. Cornford: Plato and Parmenides (Atlantic Highlands, N. J.: Humanities Press, 1964), unless otherwise noted. Although, following Cornford, eidos is rendered as ‘Form’ in the quotations from Plato, I continue referring to Plato's theory of eide as his ‘theory of Ideas’ (in conformity with Weizsäcker’s Gestalt and Ideenlehre, respectively). The remaining sentences in this paragraph (p. 450 of Die Einheit der Natur ) are omitted here; Weizsäcker explains in them what guidelines he follows in translating the Greek text into German. To the extent that these guidelines apply also in English, Cornford’s text already satisfies them (translator).
- 6.
Here I follow Weizsäcker’s, not Cornford’s translation, which, it seems, misplaces the word ‘things’ (translator).
- 7.
“On the Relativity of Language”, in: The Unity of Nature (New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1980), pp. 64–71; it was translated by Francis J. Zucker from: Die Einheit der Natur (Munich: Hanser, 1971): I.4.
- 8.
The last two sentences in this quote follow Weizsäcker’s translation, not Cornford’s, for reasons which Weizsäcker's next sentence makes apparent (translator).
- 9.
Cf. Chap. 8 in this volume, reprinted from von Weizsäcker (1980).
- 10.
This passage follows Weizsäcker’s translation, not Cornford’s, for reasons that the text is about to explain (translator).
- 11.
Weizsäcker’s translation (which I follow) hews more closely to the Greek text than do the standard English translations (translator).
References
Picht, G., 1960: “Die Epiphanie der ewigen Gegenwart”, in: Höfling, H. (Ed.): Beiträge zur Philosophie und Wissenschaft. Festschrift für Wilhelm Szilas (Munich: Francke). Reprinted in: Picht, G.: Wahrheit, Vernunft, Verantwortung (Stuttgart: Ernst Klett, 1969).
von Weizsäcker, C. F., 1980: The Unity of Nature (New York: Farrar Straus Giroux), pp. 379–400; it was translated by Francis J. Zucker from: Die Einheit der Natur (Munich: Hanser, 1971): IV.6 (MD, editor).
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von Weizsäcker, C.F. (2014). Parmenides and the Graylag Goose. In: Drieschner, M. (eds) Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker: Major Texts in Philosophy. SpringerBriefs on Pioneers in Science and Practice(), vol 23. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03671-7_7
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