epigenesis by the late eighteenth century. Blyakher discusses 

 such figures as Johannes Beseke, Matvei Pekken, Nestor 

 Maksimovich-Ambodik, and Aleksandr Radishchev, providing 

 a valuable, though brief, introduction to each of these 

 scientists. 



CHAPTER 10 is perhaps the most significant in 

 introducing a cast unfamiliar characters and unfamiliar 

 material, and in providing original theoretical discussion. 

 After establishing what Naturphilosophie means to him, 

 Blyakher assesses the impact of German Naturphilosophie on 

 Russian science; he concludes that Russians were generally 

 not receptive to Schel ling's philosophy or to idealistic 

 Naturphilosophie in general, even though some embryologists 

 such as Danil Vallanski, Michael Pavlov, and others 

 endorsed seemingly idealistic views. The Russian intelligentsia 

 recognized the unreality of Naturphilosophie and the 

 importance of materialism, Blyakher argues, and thus they 

 moved toward a progressive empirical philosophy. Despite 

 apparent flirtations with Naturphilosophie, therefore 

 (as for von Baer) , Blyakher concludes that "the successful 

 aspects of embryology in Russia were thus not connected 

 with Naturphilosophie." Although once again consistently 

 retrospective and apologetic for the seemingly imperfect 

 progress of Russian science, Blyakher has in this chapter 

 addressed the suggestion by others that Naturphilosophie 

 may have directed Russian science and argues that it may 

 have been seriously considered but then rejected or refined 

 in "successful" Russian science. His discussion of those who 

 did accept some form of idealistic philosophy is useful, as 

 is his interpretative assessment of its limits. 



CHAPTERS 11 AND 12 sketch, respectively, the 

 contributions of transition figures Louis Tredern and Ludwig 

 Bojanus. Tredern admittedly "was not a Russian, was not 

 born in Russia, and lived there only six years." Yet he 

 was an honorary Russian in Blyakher' s view. Tredern did 

 produce an influential dissertation, reportedly inspired by 

 the Russian Wolff and by Tredern 's visit to St. Petersburg; 

 there he outlined the preliminary story of the avian egg 

 and its hatching and early development. Bojanus introduced 

 study of the embryonic layers in mammals, which influenced 

 Pander and von Baer, according to Blyakher. 



