Technical Communication Quarterly Jul 2003

Ernst Haeckel's ControversiaI Visual Rhetoric

Paul Dombrowski

Abstract

Ernst Haeckel was a fascinating German scientist, philosopher, and advocate of social Darwinism who sought to reinvent science as the basis of all knowledge and best guide for human activities. His monistic and vitalistic philosophy of science influenced later German holistic science and Nazi pseudo-science. Recent research reveals several of his most famous illustrations, of embryos of various animals and that are still published today, to be incorrect and probably knowingly so. The complex rhetorical connection between theory and visual support is revealed, as creationist critics contend that the falsity of the visuals implies the refutation of evolution. We see that our decisions made in crafting illustrations carry serious rhetorical and ethical implications for various audiences.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
2003-07-01
DOI
10.1207/s15427625tcq1203_5
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
Closed
Topics
rhetorical criticism multimodality
Export
BibTeX RIS

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (9)

  1. Winkle (2024)
    Between the Lines: Visual Euphemism in Technical and Professional Communication…
    Communication Design Quarterly
  2. King et al. (2018)
    Artifactual dimensions of visual rhetoric: what a content analysis of 114 peer-…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. King et al. (2018)
    Artifactual Dimensions of Visual Rhetoric: What a Content Analysis of 114 Peer-…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. Ross (2017)
    The Role of Ethics, Culture, and Artistry in Scientific Illustration
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Zhang (2016)
    Illustrating Beauty and Utility: Visual Rhetoric in Two Medical Texts Written i…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Show all 9 →
  1. Wickman (2013)
    Observing Inscriptions at Work: Visualization and Text Production in Experiment…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Moran et al. (2012)
    A Bibliography of Works Published in the History of Professional Communication …
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Northcut (2011)
    Insights from Illustrators: The Rhetorical Invention of Paleontology Representations
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. Malone (2007)
    Historical Studies of Technical Communication in the United States and England:…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication

References (25)

  1. Allen Nancy (1996)
    TCQ
  2. Burke, James. The Day the Universe Changed. Boston: Little, Brown, 1985.
  3. Burke, Kenneth. Language us Symbolic Action. Berkeley: U of California P, 1966.
     ↗
  4. Doumont Jean-Luc (2002)
    T
  5. Gasman, Daniel. The Scientific Origins of National Socialism: Social Darwinism in Ernst Haeckel and the Germa…
Show all 25 →
  1. Gould Stephen Jay (2000)
    Natural History
  2. - Ontogeny and Phylogeny. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1977.
  3. Haeckel, Ernst. Art Forms in Nature. New York: Dover, 1974.
  4. - Crystal Souls: Studies oforganic Life. Jena: U of Jena P, 1917.
  5. - The Evolution of Man: A Popular Exposition of the Principal Points of Human Ontogeny and Phylogeny. Akron, …
  6. - The History of Creation; Or the Development of the Earth and Its Inhabitants by the Action of Natural Cause…
  7. - Monism as Connecting Religion and Science; The Confession of Faith of a Man of Science. Trans. J. Gilchrist…
  8. - The Riddle of the Universe: At the Close of the Nineteenth Century. Trans. Joseph McCabe. New York: Harper …
  9. Hanken James (1998)
    Natural History
  10. Harrington, Anne. Reenchanted Science: Holism in German Culture from Wilhelm II to Hitler. Princeton, NJ: Pri…
     ↗
  11. Kemp, Martin. Review article. "Spiritual Shapes: Emst Haeckel's `Art Forms in Nature."'Nature 413 (2001): 460.
     ↗
  12. Mayr Emst (2000)
    Scientific American
  13. 10.1086/418541
     ↗
  14. 10.1126/science.277.5331.1435a
     ↗
  15. 10.1007/s004290050082
     ↗
  16. 10.1126/science.280.5366.983c
     ↗
  17. 10.1038/35065834
     ↗
  18. Shirk Henrietta Nickels (1997)
    TCQ
  19. Stein George J (1988)
    American Scientist
  20. 10.2307/1311215
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 16 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Related Articles

  1. Computers and Composition Mar 2026
    Wicked modes in UX: Pedagogical considerations for data détournement ↗
    Morgan Banville; Leah Heilig; Madison Jones
    modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism writing pedagogy multimodality artificial intelligence
  2. Computers and Composition Mar 2026
    Shifting rhetorical agency in multimodal UX composition with AI: Sharing rhetorical authority with technologies ↗
    Nupoor Ranade; Daniel L. Hocutt
    modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism writing pedagogy technical communication multimodality
  3. Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric Feb 2026
    Voices from Rock Bottom: Queering Addiction Recovery Rhetoric & Community Literacy ↗
    Danielle Bacibianco
    rhetorical criticism archival research multimodality literacy studies gender and writing public rhetoric community literacy
  4. Res Rhetorica Jan 2026
    Review/Recenzja: Nancy Organ. 2024. Data Visualization for People of All Ages. Oxon: CRC Press; and Jen Christiansen. 2023. Building Science Graphics: An Illustrated Guide to Communicating Science Through Diagrams and Visualizations. Oxon: CRC Press ↗
    Ewa Modrzejewska
    modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism discourse analysis digital rhetoric multimodality grammar and mechanics race and writing book reviews
  5. Peitho Jan 2026
    The New Woman and Visual Resistance: A Feminist Visual Rhetorical Analysis of Hard Labor ↗
    Martha S. Karnes
    rhetorical criticism multimodality gender and writing