and artificial that I could not listen to the 

 course to the end 4 . ... My thirst was quieted 

 for a long time. Dollinger was himself in favor 

 of Naturphilosophie; however, he was strict and 

 substantial. 5 (82) 



On characterizing the ideas of his teachers, Baer wrote 

 about Dollinger that 



With philosophical views he looks at imperfections 

 in understanding, without being able to fill the 

 holes, which should be slowly begun by chemical 

 and minute physical investigations. He never 

 tries to fill these holes by means of philosophical 

 deduction .... He had earlier diligently 

 studied Kant, then was in admiration of Schelling, 

 with whom he was .particularly familiar .... 

 Later he unwillingly spoke of this time and looked 

 forward to the successful synthesis of physiology 

 of specific observations with a philosophical 

 spirit." 



It is possible to think that Dollinger' s influence to a 

 certain extent helped Baer to overcome the fashionable 

 temptation of Naturphilosophie and to return to the strict 

 and accurate studies of the features of nature. In this 

 case he reached the ideas expressed in the following words: 

 "The route from the particular to the abstract is not only 

 the natural way, but also the most fruitful route, because 

 only through the correct understanding of particular phenomena 

 is it possible to come to correct abstraction. "7 In another 

 section of his autobiography, Baer again returned to his 

 philosophical searching. At the beginning of his twentieth 

 year, Baer sought a solid general basis for the problems of 

 anthropology, psychology, and embryology. At one time he 

 apparently thought that Schelling' s philosophy could serve 

 as such a foundation. About his search Baer wrote that 



4. Ibid . , pp. 232-233 (182) (170) 



5. Ibid ., p. 233 (182-183) (171). 



6. Ibid ., p. 252 (196) (184). 



7. Ibid., p. 248 (193) (181). 



278 



