French Literature Reviews - 2026
B. Nouailles, Le Monstre, la vie, l’écart. La tératologie d’Étienne et d’Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
History, Politics and Society
B. Nouailles, Le Monstre, la vie, l’écart - La tératologie d’Étienne et d’Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
Classiques Garnier
ISBN 978-2-406-06168-7
EAN 9782406061687
456 pages - Paperback - 58 € incl. VAT
This book examines how the father-and-son duo Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire used monsters to demonstrate the evidence of a natural order grounded in the principle of the unity of organic composition, while also outlining a philosophy of life that takes anomalies as its guiding thread.
The study focuses on the scientific and philosophical contributions of the father-and-son zoological duo Étienne and Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. Their work in teratology—the study of biological anomalies and developmental malformations—developed alongside broader nineteenth-century debates concerning organic form and the stability of species. Within the history of science, this period saw intense discussion regarding the underlying laws governing living organisms, moving from traditional classifications toward structuralist and developmental approaches in anatomy and natural history.
Readers interested in the history of science and nineteenth-century thought may find this examination of biological anomalies and natural order relevant to their pursuits. This work examines how the father-and-son duo Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire used monsters to demonstrate the evidence of a natural order grounded in the principle of the unity of organic composition, while also outlining a philosophy of life that takes anomalies as its guiding thread.