讲座：亚历山大·洪堡充满不确定性的青年时期
这周四系里有一个讲座是我很感兴趣的主题。洪堡最近越来越热，不断被关注气候与环境的理论家和科学史家发掘出来，但是这样的牛人一旦被挖出来就容易去语境化，这是很常见的情况。这次的Andreas Daum是一位洪堡专家，去年洪堡250周年之际刚刚出版了新书Alexander von Humboldt，audible上的有声书都出了。在这篇访谈（德英版都有）里Daum谈到了他如何追求将洪堡放到他自己的语境中，呈现一个情绪的、感性的洪堡（Der emotionale, der sinnliche Humboldt）。访谈链接：
https://humboldt-heute.de/de/geschichten/daum-interviewAndreas Daum (University at Buffalo)
'I am rhapsodic man': Alexander von Humboldt in search of himself
In recent years, Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859) has resurfaced as a heroic, public figure. Popular accounts and new text editions suggest that the Prussian-born scholar is one of us in the 21st century: ecological in his thinking, democratic in his beliefs, and far ahead of his own epoch. In contrast, Andreas Daum calls for carefully historicizing Humboldt. Based on an ongoing biographical project, his talk will concentrate on the 1790s, when the young Humboldt pursued widespread research interests and simultaneously tried to reconcile his divergent passions. Rather than navigating on a straightforward course toward his American journey and a future era, Humboldt became entangled in the uncertainties of the revolutionary times that surrounded him. He embarked on a rhapsodic search of himself as a mensch, researcher and friend to his male companions.
History and Philosophy of Science Departmental Seminar
Thursday 27 February at 3:30 PM
同时摘录一段我之前发过的读洪堡传记的笔记：
“亚历山大·冯·洪堡出生于1769年9月14日。他的哥哥威廉·洪堡是著名的语言学家和哲学家，不过与安心与书斋中的哥哥不同，亚历山大·洪堡一直是一个渴望远游的人。亚历山大年轻时生活在柏林，但他一直讨厌这座城市，相比而言他在汉堡求学时却能得到慰藉：“是港口商船的景象让我坚持下去的。“毕业之后，洪堡的第一份工作是在矿井里，他每天几乎不眠不休，一边长期旅行、深入矿井勘探，一边大量阅读和写作。
阅读传记里的描述，我能感受到洪堡在青年时期精神上非常孤独，非常渴望情感联结而求之不得（洪堡有同性恋倾向），甚至有一点神经质，是一种唯有靠强烈的好奇心和求知欲支撑自己的工作狂状态，周围人都担心他突然垮掉。感觉洪堡虽然才华能力出众，但还是那种非常让人担心的才子，不是所有人都看好的那种。母亲的保护和期望也一直束缚着他，在1796年母亲去世后，洪堡就立刻准备出发远游了。”