THE ROLE OF THE MONSTER IN JAKOB VON UEXKULL'S NATURE

This article analyzes the role played by the concept of the monster in the theoretical biology of Jakob von Uexkull, with the aim of examining the limits and tensions of the author's proposal. To do this, first of all, I present the main concepts of Uexkull's proposal. Then, I analyze the author's explanation of the processes of organism development, as well as his study of the experiments carried out on the development of organisms. In particular, I detail Uexkull's analysis of an experiment conducted by Hans Spemann. Finally, based on these elements, I examine the Uexkullianexplanation of the monster's conditions of possibility to defend the thesis that this problem reveals an indissoluble tension typical of the assumptions of his work, which turns the harmonious and ordered nature of Uexkull to a haphazard and mechanical state.