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Biological metaphors have been a topic of scientific debate for decades, in particular metaphorical concepts of biological information (‘code’) or living systems. While some of the most prominent metaphors have been adopted directly from literary texts, the specifically literary references have received little systematic attention. It is remarkable that metaphors in biology are often used in a different way than in other natural sciences. While physics and chemistry tend to favor deterministic explanatory models, biology lends itself especially to narrative approaches that emphasize the open and contingent nature of living systems. Using a typology based on the most influential biological metaphors, I show how literary motifs are not only used as explanatory devices but can also invite critical reflection on well-known teleological pitfalls in evolutionary theory. These narrative metaphors derived from literary sources do not only function as illustrations but also as epistemological tools that connect biology to its roots in the historia naturalis.
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