Les premiers éléments du monisme de Ernst Haeckel ou la genèse d'une philosophie opportune

Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919), zoologiste allemand et systématicien de grand talent, fut aussi le principal vulgarisateur de la théorie darwinienne ou plus exactement d'un évolutionnisme moniste-matérialiste qui s'appuyait sur les acquis des nouvelles "sciences de la nature" et qu'il exposa, dès 1866, dans sa Generelle Morphologie der Organismen. Ni matérialiste ni spiritualiste (la matière et l'esprit sont indissociables), cette conception du monde fondée sur l'idée de l'unité fondamentale de la nature organique et de la nature inorganique devait réformer la morphologie et était destinée à se substituer à la vision chrétienne du monde en remplaçant les vieux "dogmes de la métaphysique" Dieu, Liberté, Immortalité par la trinité du "Bon, du Bien et du Beau". À partir de 1868, le naturaliste n'eut de cesse de vulgariser son monisme dans un style toujours plus polémique. Pourquoi Ernst Haeckel décida-t-il de remettre cette philosophie ancienne au goût du jour à cette époque précise de sa vie? Nourrissait-il d'autres ambitions? Pourquoi rejeta-t-il, sa vie durant, aussi bien l'accusation de matérialisme que d'athéisme? Était-il un homme de son temps? L'approche positiviste de cette étude qui tient compte des éléments biographiques (1834-1866) ainsi que du contexte politique et social de l'époque tente de répondre à ces questions.Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919), German zoologist, was the first major popularizer of Darwinism in Germany or more precisely of a monistic-materialistic evolutionism founded on some of the latest progress made in the natural sciences and which he exposed for the first time in his book : Generelle Morphologie der Organismen (1866). Neither materialistic nor idealistic, believing matter and spirit are inseparable, Haeckel s philosophy, which he called monism was based on the fundamental unity of organic and inorganic nature. It aimed at reforming morphology and above all at substituting itself for the Christian world s vision while rejecting the old metaphysical dogmas "theism, free will and immortality" and giving rational support to "the true, the good and the beautiful". His "hard" determinism, his mechanism, his complete rejection of the supernatural all inclined his contemporaries to classify him as a materialist. From 1868 to the end of his life, he never tired of popularizing his philosophical system in a way that became extremely polemical. His dislike of the power of the church in social and political matters and his liberal opposition to political figures resulted in many controversies. On the other hand, during his entire life, he rejected the accusation of materialism as well as of idealism. Why did he object ? Monism is known to be a very ancient philosophy. Why did Haeckel choose to update it precisely at this point in his life ? Did he have political ambitions ? A positivistic approach taking into account his biography and the political and social context is meant to understand and give answers to these questionsMETZ-SCD (574632105) / SudocSudocFranceF