Technomorphes Lebensmodell contra Virtus-Modell (Descartes gegen Fernel)

In his two writings "De abditis rerum causis" (written in 1538, published in 1548) and "De naturali parte medicinae" (1542) Jean Fernel, very much in accordance with Aristoteles and Galen, displays a systematical philosophy of nature and an equally well considered physiology. In his view the organism is animated and bestowed with life by the soul. It is the soul that initiates the movements of the organs. That means the functions are not caused by material forces, but by the formae, by the facultates or virtutes animae. Because of its many spiritual elements such a psychomorphous concept of organism is very complicated and in no way strictly determinated. It explains the phenomena of life in respect of their purposes (purposefulness) but not as to their causes. Descartes repudiated the formae substantiales and the doctrine of the facultates and displayed a new philosophy of nature, explaining all phenomena in material bodies from the movement, size and configuration of the elements or particles involved. This applies as well to the living organism. Descartes' technomorphous concept of life was simpler and started from the principle that all processes are subject to strict determination by natural laws. Already in the course of the 17th century nearly everywhere this way of thinking prevailed over the psychomorphous concept of life.