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RESEARCH PRODUCT

La idea de epigénesis en la obra de W. Harvey: Una lectura organicista

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espanolEste trabajo plantea desde una perspectiva historico-filosofica una reflexion sobre la idea de epigenesis en la obra de W. Harvey Exercitationes de generatione animalium (1651). El objetivo es contribuir a esclarecer la singular concepcion que el medico ingles tiene de esta idea, comunmente vinculada a la tradicion mecanicista. Harvey desarrolla su vision de la embriogenesis como un proceso que no puede ser comprendido desde las categorias del arte humano, como se desprende de las criticas a su maestro Fabricius. Tampoco es exacto decir que su posicion sea animista. Una inmersion en esta ultima cuestion nos mostrara su concepcion organica del alma, en continuacion con la tradicion aristotelico-galenica. EnglishThis paper takes an organicist perspective of W. Harvey’s conception of epigenesis in his work Exercitationes de generatione animalium (1651). In line with this reading, I provide a critical assessment of the different interpretations (mechanistic or vitalist) of Harvey’s idea of epigenesis. The English physician develops his conception of embryogenesis as a process that cannot be understood from the categories of human art, as is apparent in his criticisms towards his teacher, Fabricius. Nor is it accurate to say that his position is animistic. An immersion in this last question will show us his organic conception of the soul, as an extension of the Aristotelian-Galenic tradition.