development is accomplished epigenetically, and this is his 

 most important achievement; but he did not give the features 

 of development its necessary explanation. "Was it possible," 

 Beseke asked,' "to explain what is called the essential force 

 by using the hydrostatic, aerostatic and chemical laws, or 

 by using the laws of attraction, gravity, chemical affinity, 

 dissolving, precipitation, elastic fluids and so on?" 

 (pp. 65 - 66) Beseke ! s raising of these questions itself shows 

 that he considered it necessary to make concrete the material- 

 istic understanding of the "essential force," which Wolff did 

 not actually try to do. 



His criticism of Wolff's ideas did not keep Beseke from 

 acknowledging the progressive importance of the opinions of 

 the Russian academician, whose system, according to Beseke, 

 "was so insightful and was based on such accurate observations 

 that it had exceptional success and was highly evaluated even 

 by Haller, who himself was the head of the new evolutionary 

 sect" (p. 70). 



Summarizing Wolff's discussion with Bonnet, who was the 

 most candid supporter of the doctrines about the preformed 

 body and rudiments inserted into each other, Beseke remained 

 sympathetic to Wolff's opinions. "None of the thinking natural 

 investigators," Beseke wrote, "after what Wolff taught would 

 dare to sway him . . . The nature-investigators who have been 

 trying to explain philosophically the mystery of nature have, 

 for a long time, fluctuated between truth and confusion; 

 however more and more they are inclined towards the side of 

 epigenesists, whose new detachment was headed with dignity 

 by the excellent genius Wolff." (pp. 75 - 76) 



Even in the educational manuals, which usually give only 

 the commonly accepted theories, Wolff's ideas received equal 

 consideration with the opposing ideas of such well known 

 authors of the time as Haller. Professor M. K. Pekken's manual 

 of physiology (34) 5 can serve as an illustration. In one of 

 his concluding chapters, Pekken discussed the questions of 



5. THE ELEMENTARY BASICS OF PHYSIOLOGY OR SCIENCES 

 OF THE NATURE OF HUMANS. The Works of Matvei 

 (Khristianovich) Pekken, outside consultant and professor 

 in the Kronshtadt Medical School, 1787. 



124 



