洪堡式科學 (Humboldtian Science) 是一個探討自然與人類互動為基礎，以瞭解現存自然界現象的學術。在環境科學研究日益受重視的當今之日，洪堡式科學又重新受到矚目。1本文主要是介紹與洪堡同時期，且被認定是最早以洪堡式科學方法從事植物地理學研究的丹麥植物地理學家─ Joachim Friederik Schouw (1789-1852) 。透過Schouw 生平及其相關經歷的引用，並就其重要的學術著作進一步解讀，本文希望闡明Schouw 學術理念的形成及實作 (Practice) 背後的政治社會背景。Schouw 在植物地理學上提出的重要學術理念及實作包括：全球植物地理分佈圖的製作，將全球劃分為22 個植物王國；對經濟作物地理分佈的重視；還有在植物生態學 (Plant Ecology) 研究上建立的學理基礎。2洪堡式科學是以活躍於十八世紀末十九世紀初的普魯士自然學者 (Naturalist) 亞歷山大‧洪堡 (Alexander von Humboldt 1769-1859) 為代表，是對於某種特定探索自然現象的方法所做的命名。它是以對自然及人文界的現象，如氣溫、緯度、高度，以及如各國的經濟實力、礦物存量的實測，所得之量化值為基礎，探索造成現今自然現象背後的自然人文因素交作的準則。這種探討自然與人類互動以瞭解現存自然界現象的研究方法，是歐洲自然學研究至自十九世紀末的學術主流。因其探索自然現象的方法和當下環境研究的方向之間的密切聯結，所以洪堡式科學現今又重新引起世界的矚目。奠定Schouw 在植物地理學研究地位的重要發表，為1822 年以丹麥文，隔年以德文所發表的《植物地理學基本原理》專書，3及一年後針對此專書所發表的12 幅附圖。其釐清及提出新的植物地理學專有名詞，如植物王國、闡明學門研究方法和學門基本學理。藉此，他將植物地理學由零散式的觀念討論帶進系統化的學理推演，可說是在植物地理學邁向獨立的科學學門過程中的一個重要的功臣。另外，Schouw 使用顏色的濃度表現植物在全球的分佈量，這被視為是生物地理分佈圖製作史上的一大創新，也成為日後製圖的範本。4儘管Schouw 在植物地理學史上不是很多人熟悉他的生平及學術著作。但是在當今學術史的研究上，學者的生平資料，對於闡明形成學術理念背後的政治社會背景的重要性，因而受到相當的重視。

Humboltian Science have attracted renewed attention due to environmental
approaches that take both human and natural factors into account. Drawing on biographical information about the Danish botanist and geographer Joachim Friedrik Schouw (1789-1852), a follower of Humboldtian Science, this paper aims at exploring sociopolitical factors underlying his ideas of phytogeography, his cartographical representation of the global plant
distribution with 22 phyto-geographic regions, his high regard for economic plants, as well as his affinity toward studying plant ecology.
Humboldtian Science, named after the Prussian naturalist Alxeander von Humboldt (1769-1859), denotes a way of inquiry into nature. It is characterized by making connections between empirically approved natural phenomena, like temperature, latitude, ground level elevation of mountains and human activities, like financial power, mineral reserves of
countries, in order to explore the underlying principles of existing natural phenomena. It stands for the mainstream way of scientific investigation in Europe until the end of the 19th century and attracts today a worldwide focus especially in relation to environmental research.Schouw is recognized in science for the publication of Principles of Phytogeography in 1823 and of the 12 maps of plant distribution attached to it one year later. His approaches to mapping, as well as his dues to clarifying and developing novel terminology, like phytogeographic regions (Pflanzenreich in German), to describe phytogeographical concepts have turn phytogeography toward a scientific discipline. In addition, Schouw’s innovative approach to mapping the amount of plants by way of color density become standard for maps
of biogeographical distribution.In spite of the reputation that Schouw was awarded in science history, links between his professional work and other parts of his life are not well known. However, in recent studies biographical information of scientists is considered more important because it enables contextualizing scientific concepts in appropriated sociopolitical contexts and hence improves the proper interpretation of scientific concepts in history of science.