「理性的雅趣」：威廉·科蒂斯《植物學雜誌》 的圖繪與知識建構

Abstract

科學知識如何藉由審美展現？本研究考察感官經驗與科學理論的交互作用。威廉·科蒂斯（William Curtis, 1746-1799）於1787年創辦《植物學雜誌；或花園展示》（The Botanical Magazine; Or Flower-garden Displayed）至今仍持續發行。此作以介紹異國引進的觀賞花卉，與其彩色植物圖繪聞名於世。學者經常將柯蒂斯歸類為林奈學派，並以《植物學雜誌》為十八世紀林奈式系統（Linnean system）在英國盛行、甚至蔚為時尚的證明。然而本研究認為，科蒂斯為人所忽視的藥劑師訓練背景，是他譯介、挪用與校正林奈的動力來源，而實際上《植物學雜誌》處處顯示出柯蒂斯在物種識別與命名上有別於林奈的論斷。為此，本文首先重建科蒂斯的日常與研究生活，探索他如何從一名倫敦的執業藥劑師，到實現理想，成為注重科學理論與實用兼備為樂的植物學家。科蒂斯意圖使植物學從醫學藥用植物的分支領域獨立區分開來，為此他一面積極重探物種命名與鑑別，一面開設植物學講座與新設植物園，從實作傳承技術、經驗與思想。《植物學雜誌》是科蒂斯扮演知識轉譯者的具現，雜誌的編排邏輯與文本內容幫助資訊流通，創建符合科學精確性原則，又有助於視覺觀察的圖繪。同時，《植物學雜誌》保有科蒂斯實作經驗的紀錄，顯示植物學家除了關注分類學，也重視貼近觀察植物活體並累積經驗，和以此在實作中得到的愉悅感。最後，植物學描述性術語與植物圖繪相輔相成，植物的視覺語言是18世紀啟蒙晚期植物學家關注的議題，本文論證林奈式植物學在這位倫敦的科學執業者手中實踐，逐漸通往「植物學家共和國」（Republica botanici）的理想。

How does aesthetics present/represent scientific knowledge? This study examines the interaction between sensory experiences and scientific theories. In 1787, William Curtis (1746-1799) founded The Botanical Magazine; or Flower-garden Displayed, which is known for introducing exotic ornamental flowers and featuring natural-colored botanical illustrations. Scholars often see Curtis as one of the Linnaean and take The Botanical Magazine as proof to the prevalence of the Linnean system in 18th-century Great Britain. However, this study contends that Curtis's overlooked background was the driving force for his translation, appropriation of Linnaean system, and most importantly, collation of species. The Botanical Magazine consistently demonstrates the difference between Curtis and Linnaeus's judgments. First, this study reconstructs Curtis's daily life and analyzes his career, exploring how he transitioned from an apothecary in London to a practical and theoretic botanist. To separate botany from the realm of Medical Botany, he revisited species naming and differentiation, initiated botanical lectures, and established his London botanic gardens to transmit techniques, experiences, and ideas through hands-on practices. Secondly, The Botanical Magazine embodied Curtis's role as a knowledge translator. The magazine's layout and textual content facilitated the circulation of knowledge and adhere to scientific precision principles while aiding visual observation through illustrations. Simultaneously, the magazine preserved records of Curtis's practical observations, showcasing that the botanist valued taxonomy, close-up observation of live specimens, accumulating experiential knowledge, and deriving amusement from such engagement. Finally, botanical descriptive terminology complemented botanical illustrations. The visual language of plants was a concern for Enlightenment-era botanists in the 18th century. This paper concludes that the practice of Linnaean botany was realized by Curtis, who progressively led toward the ideal of a Republica botanici – a community of all botanists.