Una scienza per ogni mostro. Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, Cuvier, Balzac la querelle… sulla "zebra mostruosa"

At the end of the Eighteenth century, anatomists aimed at detaching themselves from a mere classifying and descriptive approach to establish a philosophic science studying form patterns and relationships. Organic forms can either be part of a research program, grounded on how their components coordinate and are related from a functionalist perspective, as Cuvier maintained, or explained by placing them within a pattern, a single framework of organization (unity of composition), as it is for Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. These positions came to a clash in 1830, resulting in what was later to be known as the Geoffroy-Cuvier dispute. Although taking a stand for Geoffroy, Balzac tackles some of the topics addressed by Cuvier, particularly when he follows a ‘mystic’ or poetic inspiration. A short story entitled Guide âne and published in 1842 confirms Balzac’s interest in this dispute. The main character of this satirical, grotesque tale is a third-rate naturalist named Marmus, who brings a zebra-striped monster to the attention of two academic scholars, professor Cerceau (i.e. Cuvier) and the «Prométhée des sciences naturelles» (i.e. Geoffroy). It is an amusing story filled with surrealism and providing significant insights into the Geoffroy-Cuvier debate, which caused a great stir in Europe, as well as in the manners and mores of academic scholars, in their career struggles and in the new perspectives the dispute opened in scientific research.