On the Physical Basis of Life

E400553

"On the Physical Basis of Life" is a seminal 19th-century essay by biologist Thomas Henry Huxley that argues for a materialistic, scientific explanation of life processes.

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On the Physical Basis of Life canonical 1

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf 19th-century essay ⓘ
essay ⓘ
philosophy of science work ⓘ
scientific essay ⓘ
arguesAgainst vitalism ⓘ
arguesFor materialism ⓘ
scientific naturalism ⓘ
associatedWith Victorian scientific naturalism ⓘ
conflict thesis of science and religion ⓘ
author T. H. Huxley ⓘ
linked to: Thomas Henry Huxley

Thomas Henry Huxley ⓘ
countryOfOrigin United Kingdom ⓘ
discusses continuity between living and non-living matter ⓘ
limits of metaphysical speculation in science ⓘ
protoplasm as the physical basis of life ⓘ
field biology ⓘ
history of science ⓘ
philosophy of biology ⓘ
firstPublishedIn Fortnightly Review ⓘ
genre popular science ⓘ
scientific lecture ⓘ
hasPerspective empiricist ⓘ
reductionist ⓘ
historicalSignificance important contribution to popularizing Darwinism ⓘ
key text in the Victorian debate over materialism ⓘ
includedIn collections of Huxley’s essays ⓘ
influenced debates on science and religion in the 19th century ⓘ
later philosophy of biology ⓘ
public understanding of evolution ⓘ
influencedBy Charles Darwin ⓘ
On the Origin of Species ⓘ
contemporary cell theory ⓘ
protoplasm concept ⓘ
language English ⓘ
lectureLocation Edinburgh ⓘ
lectureYear 1868 ⓘ
mainTopic materialistic explanation of life ⓘ
mechanistic view of life processes ⓘ
protoplasm theory ⓘ
relationship between matter and life ⓘ
vitalism versus materialism ⓘ
originalForm public lecture ⓘ
positionTaken life phenomena are explicable by physical and chemical laws ⓘ
mind depends on physical processes in the brain ⓘ
no special vital force is required to explain life ⓘ
publicationCentury 19th century ⓘ
publicationYear 1868 ⓘ
targetAudience educated lay public ⓘ

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Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Science and Culture, and Other Essays → hasEssay → On the Physical Basis of Life ⓘ