Antoni de Martí Franquès and spontaneous generation: Conflicts between science and religion in the work of a naturalist

Authors

  • Agustí Camós Centre for the History of Science. UAB (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain).

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.0.3236

Keywords:

eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Catalonia, Spontaneous generation, Martí Franquès, Religion

Abstract

Antoni de Martí Franquès was a naturalist from Tarragona, who lived during the second half of the eighteenth century and early nineteenth century. He was best known for his remarkable experiments devoted to investigating the composition of atmospheric air, and he also devoted a good deal of his experimental work to studying spontaneous generation. Martí Franquès’ surviving manuscripts and the testimony of his contemporaries tell us he was convinced that he had experimentally proven this phenomenon. However, being a devout Catholic, he refused to publish anything on this subject during his lifetime for fear of being accused of heresy. What is more, his descendants also refrained from publishing any of his work posthumously due to religious prejudice. 

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Author Biography

Agustí Camós, Centre for the History of Science. UAB (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain).

IES Miquel Martí i Pol (Cornellà). Member of the Catalan Society for the History of Science and Technology and the Centre for the History of Science. UAB (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain).

References

Camós, A., 2013a. «Antoni de Martí i Franquès i Fèlix Torres Amat: ciència i dissidència religiosa a la Catalunya d’inici del segle XIX». Actes d’Història de la Ciència i de la Tècnica, 6.

Camós, A., 2013b. «Antoni de Martí i Franquès, la generación espontánea y la transformación de los organismos». Asclepio, 65(2). DOI: <10.3989/asclepio.­2013.22>.

Elías de Molins, A., 1895. Diccionario biográfico y bibliográfico de escritores y artistas catalanes del siglo xix. Imprenta de Calzada. Barcelona.

Grau-Bové, J., 2012. «Nuestro héroe Martí i Franquès». Mètode, 72: 14-19. Available at: <http://metode.cat/es/Revistas/Articulo/El-nostre-heroi-Marti-i-Franques>.

Farley, J., 1977. The Spontaneous Generation Controversy from Descartes to Oparin. Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore.

Parcet, J., 1907. «Necrología de Dn. Antonio Martí y Franqués escrita por el doctor Jaime Parcet, leída el 20 noviembre 1832». Boletín Arqueológico de Tarragona, 20(1): 695-700.

Peretó, J., 2009. «A partir d’un inici tan simple. L’origen de la vida: Un problema de química amb història». Treballs de la Societat Catalana de Biologia, 60: 31-44. DOI: <10.2436/20.1501.02.75>.

Quintana, A., 1935. «Antoni Martí Franquès. Memòries originals. Estudi biogràfic i documental». Memòries de l’Acadèmia de Ciències i Arts de Barcelona, 3(XXIV).

Rubio Sáez, N.; Pulido Bordallo, C. and J. M. Roiz García, 2008. Ciències per al món contemporani. Barcanova. Barcelona.

Torres Amat, F., 1836. Memorias para ayudar a formar un diccionario crítico de los escritores catalanes. Imprenta de A. Verdaguer. Barcelona.

Yañez, A., 1820. Lecciones de historia natural. Oficina de la Vídua Roca. Barcelona.

Published

2015-04-16

How to Cite

Camós, A. (2015). Antoni de Martí Franquès and spontaneous generation: Conflicts between science and religion in the work of a naturalist. Metode Science Studies Journal, (5), 13–17. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.0.3236
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