Progress, evolution, and cellular constitution

This chapter complements the preceding one by comparing the prevailing socio-economic beliefs in Padua to the biological-anatomical views of Paduan botanists. It focuses on Giuseppe Meneghini’s research on the brain and on algae above all. Giuseppe was a pioneer of cell theory, yet his ideas differ significantly from those of other European savants of his time. Cell theory marked an anatomical revolution, because it added a new dimension to discussions of the constitution of living bodies, in particular the relationship between parts and wholes. Meneghini articulated a concept of cooperation between all parts, rejecting the idea of dominance of ‘higher’ over ‘lower’ entities. These conceptions foreshadow the introduction of metaphors like the ‘republic of cells’. A second important shift in Meneghini’s biological thought, paralleled by the emerging historicism among the students of the humanities and by Vico’s concept of perfectioning, can be found in his view of development. Giuseppe thought of living beings as products of time and as connected by historical ties, a conception that places him squarely among the ranks of pre-Darwinian evolutionists. The final section emphasizes Meneghini’s role as promoter of cellular and developmental ideas among the members of his local, regional, and international botanical networks.