Natura non facit saltus

" Natura non facit saltus " (Latin for "Nature does not make leaps ") is a basic assumption of the ancient philosophy and science since Aristotle (or since the Eleatics: AltGr Ἡ φύσις οὐδὲν ποιεῖ ἅλματα. . ). In this form, the axiom of Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) came from. The idea was taken up in the biological and geological gradualism later.

The rate shall be expressed that processes or changes in the nature not suddenly and sharply - batch - execute, but in principle continuously and steadily.

The axiom also acts in Western science continued further. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716) and Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727; mechanics ), both discoverer and developer of the calculus, have included this sentence in their considerations, as Immanuel Kant (1724-1804; philosophy). In the Discours de la vie véritable, mort et des os du géant Theutobocus of Jacques Tissot (Lyon 1613 ) is to find a similar thought:

" Natura non facit in operationibus suis saltum "

" Nature does not jump in their processes. "

Johann Amos Comenius (1592-1671) formulated in his work De sermonis Latini studio ( 1638):

" Natura et Ars nusquam saltum faciunt, nusquam fecerunt "

"Nature and art make a jump anywhere, have made him nowhere. "

For the neoclassical economics this axiom plays a role. So Alfred Marshall has the quote his Principles of Economics (1890) prefixed as a motto.

Biologically discontinuous changes (mutations ), in particular according to the theory of punctuated equilibrium, and the phenomenon of quantum leap in modern quantum physics put this principle into question. Since both phenomena the " jumps " to be held in the sub-atomic and sub-molecular area, such very small changes in the rate could well be maintained under exclusion. However, there is also a contrary view of a Nobel laureate:

"Chance has its origins in the uncertainty of these elementary events. [ ... ] Under special conditions, but it can also lead to an over-reaction of the elemental processes and therefore to macroscopic picture of the vagueness of the microscopic cube the game. "

Grammar

The Latin word for "jump", saltus, U.S. (long, unstressed " ū " in the gene. Singular, nominative and accusative plural), is a noun of the u -declension, and this axiom correct accusative plural. Therefore forms are as salti (wrong case: nominative plural, and false Declination: O -declension ) or saltos (wrong declination ) with regard to grammar and morphology incorrect.