Humboldt's writings challenged traditional scientific boundaries from "summary" of The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf
Alexander von Humboldt's pioneering writings revolutionized the scientific landscape of his time by breaking free from traditional boundaries. He rejected the compartmentalization of knowledge that was prevalent in the 18th century, where different disciplines were kept separate and distinct. Instead, Humboldt saw the interconnectedness of nature and sought to understand the relationships between different phenomena. Humboldt's approach was holistic, as he believed that the natural world could only be truly understood by considering all its elements in relation to each other. This perspective was a radical departure from the reductionist thinking that was common among his contemporaries, who tended to focus on studying individual parts in isolation. By taking a more comprehensive view, Humboldt was able to uncover patterns and connections that had previously gone unnoti...
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