The Idea of “Naturgemälde” in the First Volume of “Kosmos” by Alexander von Humboldt

Abstract

The first volume of “Kosmos” was published in 1845. In this volume, Alexander von Humboldt explains “physische Weltbeschreibung”, which gives a vivid description of forces of nature and various phenomena in the universe as a whole. The forces of nature include gravity, heat, light, electricity, magnetism and chemical affinity. “Physische Weltbeschreibung” consists of two parts, astronomical and terrestrial, as a framework for presenting a general view of the universe as “Naturgemälde”. In “Kosmos” Humboldt points out some problems in the description of “Naturgemälde”: the connection among the physical sciences, the order of description of the forces and phenomena in the universe; and regularity and universality. The aim of this paper is to clarify these three points.
In the early 19th century Mercadio Melloni experimented on the connection between heat and light, while Michael Faraday clarified the relationship between electricity and magnetism. Farther, Alessandro Volta made researches into the connection between electric, magnetic and chemical phenomena. From the results of these experiments, European scientists started considering various fields of the physical sciences to be unified. In 1834 Mary Somerville published a work titled “On the connexion of the physical sciences”. In the first volume of “Kosmos” Humboldt points out that he presents the connection among the physical sciences in the description of “Naturgemälde”. His idea is based on the scientific thought of the early 19th century Europe.
In “Naturgemälde” Humboldt describes a wide variety of phenomena, ranging from the distant nebulas, double stars and the solar system in the heavens to terrestrial phenomena. His explanation of the earth begins with its shape. The elliptical shape of the earth was formed while the hot fluid of it was cooling under the influence of gravity. According to Humboldt, the inner part of the earth continues to be a hot fluid, and its heat generates electricity, which is interchangeable with magnet-ism. In addition, magnetism creates light. So Humboldt describes terrestrial heat, the distribution of terrestrial magnetism, and the aurora that follow the shape of the earth. Humboldt also considers heat in the center of the earth to be the origin of a series of geological phenomena, by which it is possible to explain earthquakes, volcanos, minerals and the distribution of the continents and the seas. Our globe is covered with the seas and the atmosphere, which explain the distribution of the ocean currents, atmospheric pressure, winds, the distribution of temperature, and the distribution of snow limits and humidity. Humboldt describes the distribution of plants and animals connected with the surface features and climate. The description of plants and animals in “Naturgemälde” begins with the microscopic organisms, the lowest rank in “the great chain of being”. The last and noblest object of “Naturgemälde” is the human race, whose distribution is influenced not only by the natural environment but also by the development of civilization and culture. Humboldt considers the human race to be the highest rank in “the great chain of being”. The order of the description of “Naturgemälde” is based on the idea of causality of various phenomena, the exchange of forces, and “the great chain of being”.
At the beginning of “Naturgemälde” Humboldt establishes his viewpoint, which is to observe the distribution of each phenomenon as one of a group both in the heavens and on the earth. From the viewpoint of “Naturgemälde” its object is nebulas, double stars and the solar system, which is a group of stars moving under the influence of gravity.