3:45 PM - 4:00 PM
[MZZ39-02] The Biosphere and the Noosphere: Vladimir Vernadskii's Scientific Thought in the Early Days of Biogeochemistry
Keywords:Biogeochemistry, Biosphere, Noosphare, Vladimir Vernadskii, Epistemology, Scientific Thought
It is undeniable that the concept of "biosphere" is one of the central concepts of contemporary global ecology, and that geochemistry and biogeochemistry are the theoretical foundations of modern earth sciences. In the first half of the 20th century, Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadskii (1863-1945) did pioneering work in both conceptualizing and systematizing the new science. Today, the process of building a big history of global emvironment based on the concept of "biosphere" and geochemistry is considered a scientific revolution of the 20th century. As Jack Grinevald says, this epistemologocal turn is sometimes called "the Vernadskyan revolution".
Vernadskii's social influence, which spilled over from the field of academic research into the public spheres, was not an accidental byproduct of his intellectual pursuits. As a distinguished historian, Vernadskii had clearly intended an epistemological turn in the image of global nature that scientific exploration of the Earth could bring about, based on the historical principles he had gleaned about science and scientific thought. The unique narrative of the "noosphere" is also based on his elaborate theoretical considerations on the global spillover effects of human scientific thoughts and activities. In the presentation, I will examines the latent ideological forces of Vernadskii's works, by focusing on his science studies, which have not been widely discussed outside the Russian-speaking world.
Vernadskii's social influence, which spilled over from the field of academic research into the public spheres, was not an accidental byproduct of his intellectual pursuits. As a distinguished historian, Vernadskii had clearly intended an epistemological turn in the image of global nature that scientific exploration of the Earth could bring about, based on the historical principles he had gleaned about science and scientific thought. The unique narrative of the "noosphere" is also based on his elaborate theoretical considerations on the global spillover effects of human scientific thoughts and activities. In the presentation, I will examines the latent ideological forces of Vernadskii's works, by focusing on his science studies, which have not been widely discussed outside the Russian-speaking world.