• David Hume
  • in the section of the treatise of human nature on skepticism
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4705

• Digby’s answer to the fundamental question:
  • What is it that unites the parts of a system into a living individual? was the precursor to the biological concept of functional integration:
  • wholeness comes from the system being functionally interdependent and integrated.
    • the activities in one part of the system are brought about
    • by a cause external to the part where it occurs (interdependence);
    • and the mutual workings of the parts account for the behaviour of the system as a whole,
    • making this activity internal to the entire system (integration).
    • Here is an example using an Elephant
      • An elephant’s heart pumps blood only because it’s supplied with
        • energy from the digestive system,
        • oxygen from the respiratory system, and
        • support from the skeletal system.
      • All those bits working in tandem is what makes it possible for an elephant to walk around doing elephant things.

• Kenelm Digby
  • was an obscure 17th century English naturalist and polymath who was also
    • natural philosopher
      • Two Treatises (1644) - is the title of his important work which was an attempt to wed the emerging mechanical philosophy advocated by Newton to the existing tradition of Aristotle
      • In his book, he tried to answer the question: what is it that unites the parts of a system into a living individual?
    • alchemist
    • swordsman
    • privateer
    • courtier
    • brewer
    • inventor of the modern wine bottle

Maxwell wrote the Treatise

reading the texts in parallel.