Reflections on Alexander Von Humboldt’s Biography

A while back a friend gifted me with Andrea Wulf’s The Invention of Nature: Alexander Von Humboldt’s New World. Who is Alexander Von Humboldt? This is a question you may be asking yourself if you have a world class American Education like me. This man had personal relationships with Thomas Jefferson, Charles Darwin, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Simon Bolivar, Napoleon Bonaparte and countless other world leaders in various spheres. He was a scientist like no other who shattered all boundaries, combining his first passion for science with his love for art, nature, and politics. The history of the world as we know it has been shaped by this mans accomplishments, yet few would consider him a household name today. Does this man’s life offer us wisdom for today, or is he no longer relevant? Instead of summarizing his biography, I would like to offer you my reflections on his success as a scientist in a different era.

Humboldt lived from 1769 until 1859. Philosopher of Science William Whewell states that 1834 is the year that the term “scientist” is first documented, replacing the phrase “cultivator of science.” This suggests that Humboldt’s era marked the transition from the free-spirited scientist with unhinged curiosity to the more career oriented scientist one would find in a university setting. Fast forward a few generations and the only supposed way to contribute to science is to spend many years overspecializing in a single topic. It is true that the collective scientific understanding has grown so vast that it requires much more prerequisite knowledge to push the boundaries. But in neglecting to grow a broad foundation, is it possible we are neglecting another means to overcome the current boundaries of knowledge? What I mean is this. I think that cross pollination between scientific disciplines often leads to novel ways to solve problems in one’s own specialized field. So by not spending time becoming learned in other fields, we are likely missing out on solutions or novel insights in our own field. Is it possible for the modern scientific agenda to embrace this attitude again?

Another advantage I believe Humboldt had was that his research was detached from his physical location. It is true that his writings were compiled in Paris or in Prussia, but a his ideas were birthed from his eclectic travels across the globe. He did not do the majority of his work in one place. One could retort that this in general is not an advantage for most scientists, because Humboldt was an empiricist gathering data on his travels. So his travels were necessary for his research, while traveling is not so necessary for some theoretical scientist. But the point I am trying to make is more subtle. Our subconscious is heavily influenced by our surroundings. When we go to our workplace or home, we have past experiences driving the wandering of our minds. When we are continuously in a new location, our mind is free to diffusely wander in ways it could not otherwise. By spending much of his career wandering the globe, Humboldt allowed his mind to make new insights that we are standing on today. I would like to postulate that a continually changing geography may confer a great psychological advantage to a theoretical scientist.

I think the final significant advantage Humboldt had as a scientist was his financial independence. I understand that very few of us will inherit enough money to set out in any direction we choose, but it is still important to comment on this. An ancient ethic tells us that our views are influenced by where our money comes from. If our end goal as a scientist is to objectively seek the truths of the natural world, it is important to consider who is paying us. Humboldt was close friends with Jefferson, but vehemently disagreed with him on the issue of slavery. He could see the treachery of slavery clearly, unlike many of his counterparts, because he was not benefitting from it. Despite this example being from politics, milder but analogous situations likely play out in academia as well. In the modern fast paced world there are more paths to financial freedom than in the past. They may be worth our consideration if we take scientific endeavors seriously. 

It turns out that the history of Alexander Von Humboldt’s life was largely erased from history in the west. This was likely due to anti-German sentiment following the second world war. Wulf’s biography rediscovers the forgotten endeavors of this remarkable man. Maybe Humboldt’s life can inspire us to look beyond our horizons. If you are a scientist, maybe it can also give you a clearer roadmap to success in an evermore convoluted world.