Lebens‐Geschichte ‐ Wissenschafts‐Geschichte. Vom Nutzen der Biographie für Geschichtswissenschaft und Wissenschaftsgeschichte

Biography as a genre of historiography had been dismissed for some years, criticized for being conservative, resistant to theoretical approaches, and hostile to methodological innovations. But the predominance of a historiography devoted to structures, functions, and statistics has, however, led to a renewed interest in the human factor in history. This paper argues that the pluralism of methods and theories which has emerged thereafter reopened the case for an innovative biography, thus facilitating the convergence of general history and the history of science.     

Spezialisierung und Bildungsanspruch. Zur Geschichte der Technischen Hochschulen im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert

In the late 19th century at the “Technische Hochschulen” the understanding of “Wissenschaft” and “Bildung” changed considerably. During the 19th century the “Polytechnische Schulen” and “Technische Hochschulen” adopted the neo-humanistic standards of “Bildung”, established by the universities and the “Humanistische Gymnasium”. At the end of the century they joined the “realistische Schulbewegung” which emphasized the value of mathematics and natural sciences, taking issue with the classical languages. At the same time, systematic experimentation was added to mathematics, natural sciences and technical experience to constitute the specific methodology of engineering sciences. Attempts to define specific technical elements of “Allgemein-bildung” did not succeed as a result of the rapidly increasing differentiation and specialization of engineering sciences.     

Historische Wissenschaftsforschung,heute. Überlegungen zu einer Geschichte der Wissensgesellschaft

Historical Science Studies Today. Thoughts about a History of the Knowledge Society. The article explores theoretical and historiographical approaches in the field of historical science studies, while focusing on the history of the knowledge society. It argues that a straightforward transfer of the concept of knowledge society into the past has to be pursued with care, favorably with an extraction of some analytical key concepts. This extraction is termed ‘decontextualization’ while a second approach, ‘contextualization’, is applied to the study of the knowledge society in its own time, namely the second half of the twentieth century. The latter approach needs to be combined with a history of science studies, especially a history of the concepts explaining and constituting the knowledge society itself. Furthermore, it is proposed to study the operative concepts of innovation and regulation in order to analyze the coupling processes of science, economy, technology, and government.     

Theophrast über Pflanzenkrankheiten. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Phytopathologie in der Antike

Already before Theophrastus there was a botanical literature which also dealt with the diseases of plants, but we have only indirectly access to it — mainly by way of Theophrastus. The botanical excursus of the Hippocratic series of writings De genitura, De natura pueri, De morbis IV, which attributes the health of plants to a balance of warmth and cold and a correct quantity of specific humidity, forms an exception. This excursus hints at what is more fully developed in Theophrastus discussion of the diseases of plants: The diseases of plants are understood in close analogy to those of animals or human beings. In both cases, a basic distinction is made between inner, dietetic diseases and outer, traumatic ones. According to Theophrastus, especially humidity and an innate warmth are life-sustaining factors. A disturbance of the natural humidity/warmth-household must be counteracted by respective measures. As far as the terminology of plant diseases is concerned, Theophrastus relies on already existing concepts. Classical literature after Theophrastus has made no substantial contributions to phytopathology.