Raoul H. France and the Doctrine of Life

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Summary: R. H. France and the Doctrine of Life.
Review: This book recounts the very interesting biography (life and work) of the Viennese biologist Raoul H. Francé (1874-1943) and of his wife, Annie Francé-Harrar. Francé was virtually the first biologist to recog-nize the importance of ecology for the well-being of mankind. In his "Doctrine of Life" he worked out a blueprint for the way by which human civilization could be allowed to grow without destroying the planet. His "Objective (Biocentric) Philo-sophy" provided the means for every human being to achieve a happy life in harmony with nature. His teachings are at present even more applicable than in his own time because the danger to the en-vironment is many times greater today. He was a Renaissance-type personality who had a multifaceted character: a scien-tist specializing in microbiology and plant sciences; a literary author possessing a beautiful writing style; an editor and pub-lisher of a number of important journals; an educator who influenced two genera-tions of students; an administrator who founded, organized and directed an insti-tute and a number of societies; a visual artist in his own right, and last, but not least, a philosopher who created a new philosophical system. Francé became known to the public at large for his dis-covery of Bionics, and for the founding of the new science of Soil Ecology. The book is an easy reading with 58 illustrations, containing a wealth of information not only about the lives of the Francés but also about the environment and society in which they lived around the turn of the century. It is recommended reading for anyone interested in Biology and Philo-sophy, as well as the life story of two exceptional personalities.