Between Nature and Culture Thomas Jefferson's and Alexander von Humboldt's interactions with the Natural World

This contribution defines the approaches taken by the Prussian explorer and scientist Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) and the Virginia statesman and naturalist Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) to nature and examines their respective understanding of and interaction with the Natural World. Though conditioned by their personal interests as well as their respective historical backgrounds, they showed a different concept of nature, both took a global perspective and shared a marked interest in the advance of science and the scientific exploration of the New Continent: Humboldt through his own American expedition (1799-1804) and Jefferson through the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806) he organized and supervised during his presidency. Furthermore, both formulated a clear response to the ideas of Buffon and de Pauw with respect to the assumed inferiority of America-one from a European, the other from an American, point of view. Finally, particular attention will be paid to those aspects concerning the impact of culture on nature and their early approach to questions regarding the relationship between man and nature, which today are understood as environmental concerns and theories.