The Invention of Nature Book Summary, by Andrea Wulf
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1-Page Summary of The Invention of Nature
Overview
Who created nature? No human can claim to have done that, but if we talk about who created the vision of nature as something understandable and able to be categorized, Alexander von Humboldt is certainly a key candidate.
This passage is about Alexander von Humboldt, who was a naturalist. He traveled to South America and made detailed observations of the land and its people.
In this passage, you will learn about Humboldt’s fascination with volcanoes and how he was one of the first to explain how human actions harm nature.
Big Idea #1: From an early age, Alexander von Humboldt had a longing to see the world.
Let’s go back to the eighteenth century and meet a famous explorer named Alexander von Humboldt. He was born on September 14, 1769, in Prussia. His father was an advisor to King Wilhelm III, and his mother came from a wealthy family that manufactured textiles.
Alexander had one brother, Wilhelm. Unfortunately, their father died when Alexander was only nine years old. Afterward, his mother grew reclusive and let tutors take most of the responsibility in raising her children as intelligent and honorable young adults.
Unlike his brother, Wilhelm preferred books to nature. He would stay inside and read while Alexander roamed the countryside estate where they lived, collecting plants and bugs. This earned him the nickname “the little apothecary.” Their mother wanted both of her boys to be civil servants but Alexander was fascinated by exploration and grew up dreaming about leaving home.
Alexander von Humboldt grew up and spent his time exploring science and nature.
He was a smart man who excelled in science, math and language. He found his passion for geology at the age of 22, when he got steady work as a mining inspector. While working to improve conditions for miners, Humboldt studied the underground plant-life of mines and published his first book on subterranean flora.
He also spent time studying the latest scientific advances in zoology, botany and other areas of biology. He became very interested in galvanism, which is the study of biological reactions to electric currents. He even experimented on himself!
Humboldt had a hard time settling down in Europe. He wanted to travel the world and see new things, but he was stuck there for some time. Eventually, he met someone who changed his outlook on life forever.
Big Idea #2: Before he left Germany, Humboldt was already learning to combine art and science.
While Humboldt lived in Paris, his brother Wilhelm moved to the town of Jena where he became friends with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Goethe was already well-known in the 1790s, and he became one of the founders of German Romanticism. His novel The Sorrows of Young Werther had a big impact on his generation. He later published Faust, which further enhanced his reputation.
When Alexander Humboldt visited his brother in 1794, he knew that Goethe was also interested in science. Therefore, he invited him to meet his brother. The two brothers ended up having a great time together and helped each other develop their scientific theories. Goethe introduced Humboldt to the writings of Immanuel Kant and the ideas around subjectivity: that our understanding of the external world is shaped within our mind as we receive it through our senses.
Goethe and Humboldt realized that science should be included in the process of subjectivity. One must experience nature to truly understand it, including geology and botany.
Goethe and Humboldt believed that just sitting in a room and classifying rocks, plants, or animals wouldn’t lead to an understanding of them. One had to experience them first-hand.
The Invention of Nature Book Summary, by Andrea Wulf
