Natural history

Quick Facts: Who was Natural history?

Subject:

Natural history

Known for:

The systematic study of organisms, including plants and animals, in their natural environment.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is called a naturalist or natural historian. Natural history encompasses scientific research but is not limited to it. It involves the systematic study of any category of natural objects or organisms, so while it dates from studies in the ancient Greco-Roman world and the medieval Arab world, through to European Renaissance naturalists working in near isolation, today's natural history is a cross-discipline umbrella of many specialty sciences; e.g., geobiology has a strong multidisciplinary nature. The meaning of the English term "natural history" (a calque of the Latin historia naturalis) has narrowed progressively with time, while, by contrast, the meaning of the related term "nature" has widened (see also History below).

Career & Major Achievements

In antiquity, "natural history" covered essentially anything connected with nature, or used materials drawn from nature, such as Pliny the Elder's encyclopedia of this title, published c. 77 to 79 AD, which covers astronomy, geography, humans and their technology, medicine, and superstition, as well as animals and plants. Medieval European academics considered knowledge to have two main divisions: the humanities (primarily what is now known as classics) and divinity, with science studied largely through texts rather than observation or experiment. The study of nature revived in the Renaissance, and quickly became a third branch of academic knowledge, itself divided into descriptive natural history and natural philosophy, the analytical study of nature. In modern terms, natural philosophy roughly corresponded to modern physics and chemistry, while natural history included the biological and geological sciences. The two were strongly associated.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

During the heyday of the gentleman scientists, many people contributed to both fields, and early papers in both were commonly read at professional science society meetings such as the Royal Society and the French Academy of Sciences—both founded during the 17th century. Natural history has been encouraged by practical motives, such as Linnaeus' aspiration to improve the economic condition of Sweden. Similarly, the Industrial Revolution prompted the development of geology to help find useful mineral deposits. Modern definitions of natural history come from a variety of fields and sources, and many of the modern definitions emphasize a particular aspect of the field, creating a multiplicity of definitions with a number of common themes among them. For example, while natural history is most often defined as a type of observation and a subject of study, it can also be defined as a body of knowledge, and as a craft or a practice, in which the emphasis is placed more on the observer than on the observed.

Notable Quotes by Natural history

“Natural history is the study of animals and plants—of organisms... I like to think, then, of natural history as the study of life at the level of the individual...”

“A practice of intentional, focused attentiveness and receptivity to the more-than-human world, guided by honesty and accuracy.”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Natural history

True or False: “The term 'natural history' in antiquity exclusively covered only botany and zoology.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): In antiquity, the scope was much broader, covering astronomy, geography, human technology, medicine, and superstition, as exemplified by Pliny the Elder.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Natwarlal — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Notorious Indian con man and forger, famous for 'selling' major Indian landmarks.
• Naum Gabo — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Pioneering constructivist sculptor known for geometric abstraction and kinetic works.
• Naushad — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Pioneering Indian composer, celebrated as 'Moseeqar-e-Azam' of Hindi cinema.
• Navin Ramgoolam — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Prominent Mauritian politician and multiple-term Prime Minister of Mauritius.
• Nawabs of Bengal — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Hereditary rulers of Bengal Subah, governing as de facto independent monarchs in 18th-century Mughal India.
• Nawal El Saadawi — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Pioneering Egyptian feminist writer, activist, and physician championing women's rights.

Frequently Asked Questions about Natural history