PRESENTATION-COPY FOR CARNAP

MATISSE, GEORGES.

La question de la finalité en physique et en biologie. II volumes. I: Principes généraux. Lois d'economie, d'extremum, de simplicité. II: Faits particuliers. Dispositifs et Phénomènes présentés par les Êtres vivants. Examen critique des Théories. [Actualités Scientifiques et Industrielles, 467 & 468].

Paris, Hermann & Cie, 1937.

(vo. 2 volumes, both in the orig. printed wrappers, both volumes uncut and partly unopened. Some wear to corners and edges, w. a bit of loss, vol. II missing part of lower spine. W. ownership signature (Carnap), the author's name (partly erased and library marking (that of Carnap?) on front wrappers. 44, (1); 67, (2) pp. One plate and several text-illustrations to volume II.

First edition, presentation-copy for Rudolf Carnap, of this overlooked, but in its time important, work on the question of the telos, or final aim, of physics and biology. The first volume is inscribed "A Monsieur Rudolf Carnap/ Hommage de/ Georges Matisse" on front free end-paper, and both volumes carry the signature of Carnap in pencil on front wrappers.

Although now largely forgotten, Georges Matisse (1874-1961) was a prominent thinker and a remarkable scholar, who was considered important and influential in his own time. He contributed with several publications to the fields of science and philosophy, and all of them are considered solid and interesting. His most famous works consist in the thee-volume cycle "La philosophie de la nature" (1938), "Le Rameau vivant du monde" (1947-49) and "L'Incoherence universelle" (1953-56), all published by the Presses Universitaires de France. The present work is thus published before what can be considered his actual breakthrough, and represents us with thoughts very much in vogue at the time.

As the title indicates, the present work discusses the question of the motion of the appearances of nature towards their final aim. "L'explication des phénomènes naturels par l'idée de causes finales qui les dirigent, est fréquemment adoptee encore." (Vol. I, Introduction).The first part of the work demonstrates that certain general principles do not apply to all appearances or that these principles contain something totally different than that which the non-physic could expect. "Malheureusement, Presque tous ceux qui emploient le langage téléologique pour conter les événements croient que la finalité constitue une explication scientifiquement valuable, c'est-à-dire, qui precise les conditions necessaries et suffisantes de genèse du phenomena." (Vol. I, Introduction).

The second part deals with the appearances of the living nature. Matisse tries to show that neither the way that the organisms are built, nor the functions of the organs can be explained as striving towards an aim. This is explained, among other things, by the fact that many developments in nature lead not to the perseverance of the individual or the species, but on the contrary to the death of it.

The work evoked somewhat of an interest in the field of philosophy of science and was viewed as a valuable contribution to the answering of questions that occupy a position on the border of philosophy and science. In his own time, Matisse was considered important and influential within this field. He attended the famous "Congrès International de Philosophie Scientifique" in Paris in 1935, which was organized primarily by Carnap.
The present work was written shortly after this congress and published shortly before the first part of his main work. Carnap seems to have read the introduction, in which there are a few pencil-underlinings, and he has probably been more interested in the general thesis against teleology and preformation as a scientifically valuable explanation of the phenomena of nature than in the more thorough explanation of his ideas.

Matisse graduated in biophysics in 1918 in Paris, but early on he became interested in mathematics, physics, and epistemology, the three fields of which are united in this interesting treatise.

Order-nr.: 37981