A Study On Ernst Mayr's Thought And Method On The Historiography Of Biology

With the rapid development of biology, it shows how unique and important increasingly. The importance of research in the history of biology becomes more and more obvious. For the close relationship with reality, Experience and lessons in the history of biology are good reference for the development of biology today. Its significance of the research is very obvious. Mayr is a well-known authoritative source of ornithology, systematic biology and evolution in the world. After building evolutionary synthesis with Theodosius Dobzhansky, Julian Sorell Huxley, George Gaylord Simpson and others in 1947, he considered more problems about history and philosophy of biology. Mayr has reaped plentiful and substantial fruits. Receiving Sarton Prize lays the foundation for his unshakable status in biology field. This thesis explores Mayr's thoughts and methods on history of biology. His contribution's disclosure will provide some beneficial reference and help for researchers in this field.Introduction presents selected subjects and the content. First section of Chapter 1 describes Mayr's life history, research career and product. His priority has three turns:to ornithology from medicine; to evolution from ornithology; to history and philosophy of biology from evolution. It has positive significance. Every turn is good summarization and development. Mayr published one paper or one book per month. Second section of Chapter 1 is quantitative analysis about Mayr's publications. Third section of Chapter 1 explores the factors of his success, family and educational environment, key people and so on.Chapter 2 elaborates the basis of forming Mayr's thoughts on history of biology. Good scientific background is a necessary condition for the correct thoughts on history of science. First section of Chapter 2 describes his achievements in many field.Thoughts on history of biology base on some knowledge of biology in history and some philosophy as the guide. Second section and Third section discuss the effects on Mayr's thoughts on history of biology from philosophy and history two aspects.Studying scientists is an important part of studying the history of science. Mayr gradually formed his own ideas by critical studying about theories of Darwin and Weismann. It is an important process to clear up his thoughts. His study characteristic would be displayed in Chapter 3.Chapter 4 shows the content and significance of Mayr's thoughts on History of Biology. The content includes five parts:History of Science is history of ideas; Question is the focal point of the history of biology; Clues of question forming the concept of structure; History of ideas is the interaction of variation and selection; Biology is not either-or. For his original ideas, Mayr extracted the essence of THE GROWTH OF BIOLOGICAL THOUGHT:DIVERSITY EVOLUTION AND INHERITANCE. The spirit of rigorous scholarship and enormous influence of Mayr's ideas on the history of biology would be appreciated.Just a unique thinking of biological history is not enough to lay Mayr historians of biology unshakable status.Chapter 5 reveals Mayr's research methods and significance of his thoughts on history of biology. His research methods roughly consist of:Interrogation Methods; Conceptual analysis Methods; Study opposite Methods; Subjective revelation Methods; Analysis and synthesis Methods.Function of Mayr's research methods of history of biology display in sequence:Clearing up the skeleton of history by using interrogation methods; Clarifying the confusion by using conceptual analysis Methods; Exploiting Students Thinking by using study opposite Methods; Inspirng thinking by using subjective revelation Methods; Grasping the overall situation by using analysis and synthesis Methods.Epilogue is a Summarization to the significance of Mayr's thought and method on the Historiography of Biology.