KONRAD LORENZ: BIOGRAPHY, THEORY, CONTRIBUTIONS, WORKS - BIOGRAPHIES - 2025

Konrad Lorenz (1903-1989) was a renowned Austrian physician who dedicated his life to studying the behavior of animals; for this reason he is considered one of the founders of ethology. Thanks to his research, Lorenz was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology in 1973, after describing the physiological process of imprinting.

Lorenz was one of the most important scientists of the 20th century, his work notably enriched the knowledge about the nature of survival and adaptation of living beings. Importantly, most of Lorenz's research was based on studying birds, especially geese.

Konrad Lorenz is one of the founders of ethology. Source: Max Planck Gesellschaft (Eurobas)

In addition, with the help of his mentor Oskar Heinroth, this Austrian scientist developed a concept known as "fixed patterns of behavior", which consists of a series of patterns that are present in behavior and that are invariable; These patterns are found in most species of the animal kingdom.

Lorenz also discovered that there are instinctual responses that have been patterned with the help of genetic programming; This means that when faced with certain stimuli, certain behaviors appear, as occurs, for example, in the mating ritual of some birds.

Regarding the imprint, Konrad established that it is a kind of imprint or mark that is fixed on animals from the moment they are born. For example, in the case of chicks, when they hatch they look for the first object that is in motion, regardless of whether it is their mother or not.

Consequently, Lorenz assured that the imprint acts automatically and that it is not only maintained during the first days after birth, but can last a longer time. This explains why certain birds consider those humans dedicated to caring for them as their mothers, giving rise to a high level of dependency.

Biography

First years and academic training

Albert, Konrad, Emma and Adolf Lorenz (1903)

Konrad Zacharias Lorenz was born on November 7 in Vienna, within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in 1903. From a young age he showed a remarkable interest in animals, especially wild geese.

In fact, Lorenz liked to read The Adventures of Nils Holgerson, a book by the Swedish writer Selma Lagerlöf in which these animals appeared.

After completing his secondary studies, Konrad became enthusiastic about the theory of evolution; this encouraged him to study paleontology and zoology. However, his father wanted him to study medicine, so in the end he devoted himself to this discipline.

This was not entirely negative, since the studies of his professor of anatomy (Ferdinand Hochstetter) that addressed the subject of comparative embryology allowed him to decipher the great enigmas of evolution using the comparative method, which was applicable to both anatomical structures as well as behavior patterns.

This means that the study of medicine allowed Lorenz to develop better in his interests, because he obtained certain contributions that were not offered by paleontology.

In addition, before finishing his degree, he served as an assistant and instructor in the department of his professor Hochstetter, thereby further nurturing his knowledge.

Later, after obtaining his medical degree, Lorenz decided to study zoology at the Versluys Institute.

Other studies and the beginning of ethology

Konrad Lorenz participated in a series of psychological seminars that were taught by Karl Bühler, a German professor and psychologist. He did this in order to use comparative methods within behavioral studies.

The results of Konrad's research contradicted the theories of MacDougall's vitalist school; they were also very different from the investigations of Watson's mechanistic school.

For this reason, Bühler made him read some of the most important books of these schools; however, Lorenz was disappointed in these readings.

This happened because Konrad realized that these schools were not experts in zoological matters. Consequently, Lorenz decided to develop a new branch of science that took his inclinations into account; This required a lot of work and responsibility.

The works of the German biologist Oskar Heinroth had a remarkable influence on the scientist, especially his text Anatidae, which was a comparative document of ducks. This work motivated Konrad to begin comparative study within the animal field, taking this project as the main work of his life.

His former professor Ferdinand Hochstetter decided to support him in this project and took into account his ethological work on anatomy.

Development as a teacher

In 1938 Lorenz joined the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi party), and was later appointed as a professor at the University of Königsberg on the recommendation of Von Erich Holst. In this way, Lorenz was hired as a zoologist in the Faculty of Philosophy of that university.

Lorenz, along with his colleagues Otto Koehler and HH Weber, devoted himself to studying Immanuel Kant's postulates within Darwinian biology.

These conversations drew the attention of the renowned physicist and mathematician Max Karl Planck, who shared correspondence with Konrad to discuss the relationship between the real world and the phenomenal.

Participation in the war

In 1941 he was recruited by the Germans to practice as a physician in the psychiatry and neurology section at Posen Hospital. Lorenz had never practiced as a doctor; however, he had a solid understanding of the nervous system and certain notions of psychiatry.

His co-worker was Dr. Herbert Weigel, who is remembered for having taken the postulates of psychoanalysis very seriously. Thanks to this relationship, Lorenz gained knowledge about hysteria, neurosis and psychosis, especially about schizophrenia.

In 1944 Lorenz was captured by the Soviet Union when he was assigned to assist the Eastern Front. From this point on, the Soviets held him captive for six years.

During this time he provided services to a hospital in Chalturin, where he assisted some 600 beds in which the cases of polyneuritis were placed, an inflammation of the nervous tissue that was caused by the effects of cold, lack of vitamins, tension and overvoltage.

Russian doctors were not aware of this condition, so they associated the symptoms with diphtheria, since this disease also causes impaired reflexes. After the hospital was destroyed, Lorenz was assigned as a doctor in a camp located in Armenia.

He made friends with a group of Russians dedicated to medicine and was able to observe the psychological effects of both Marxism and Nazism; This allowed him to understand the essence of the indoctrinations.

In the Armenian camp, he began to write a work in which he addressed everything related to epistemology.

Soviet soldiers discovered this text and decided to transfer Lorenz to Krasnogorsk, a city near Moscow, in order for him to type the manuscript. The authorities allowed her to keep a copy of the text before returning it to her homeland.

The book was published in Russia a long time later under the name The Other Side of the Mirror. After all his war experiences, Konrad Lorenz decided to publicly repent of his leanings towards Nazism.

Return to his native country

Lorenz managed to return to his native country in 1948. At that time he did not have a job, but he had his manuscript.

A professor of zoology, known as Otto Storch, decided to help Konrad enter the Institute of Arts and Sciences. This academy funded a zoological investigation in which other ethologists from around the world participated.

In 1948 he was visited by WH Thorpe, a Cambridge professor who managed to demonstrate imprinting on parasitic wasps and was interested in Lorenz's postulates. In fact, Thorpe proposed to Konrad to lead a chair in the UK, but Konrad decided to stay in Austria to succeed Karl von Frisch at the University of Graz.

However, the Austrian Ministry of Education decided to reject Lorenz, as educational leanings had become strictly Catholic. After this, Lorenz returned to correspondence with Thorpe to explain that he was willing to work in another country.

Last years

Eventually Lorenz turned to work at the Max Planck Institute, located in Westphalia. In 1961 he published one of his most important works entitled The evolution and modification of behavior.

Although he was never interested in human culture, Lorenz came to express a deep concern for the environment and for the vicious circle between cheap development and commercial competition. He also claimed that human existence was threatened by ethical and moral conflicts.

Lorenz received the Nobel Prize in 1973. He was shared with Karl von Frisch and Nikolaas Tinbergen, who stood out for their studies on animal behavior. His research also helped to understand certain elements of psychiatry.

Regarding his personal life, Lorenz married a doctor named Margarethe Gebhardt, who left her trade to tend the family farm.

Konrad passed away on February 27, 1989 due to kidney failure. This scientist left several works that currently remain valid and important.

Theory

Otto Koenig (right) with his teacher and role model Konrad Lorenz (left). (1974). alfred schmied

The imprint as a phenomenon

While observing the newborn goose and duck chicks, Konrad noticed a very striking peculiarity within animal behavior: when hatching, the chicks followed the first thing they saw in motion, even if this object was not their mother. Lorenz called this pattern of biological and prepared behavior "imprinting."

Likewise, Lorenz realized that the imprint did not end after birth, but could extend for another period.

For example, birds developed a very close bond with the humans with whom they imprinted. Cases were even seen of some specimens that, after reaching maturity, tried to mate with members of the human species instead of interacting with other birds: this made Lorenz think that the imprint was irreversible.

Lorenz established that the imprint does not occur in all species, it does not even occur in all birds. However, this phenomenon allowed the scientist to establish a basis for his hypothesis on behavior patterns, whose theory is much broader and forms a solid piece for the general guidelines of ethology.

Konrad's contributions on imprinting are an opposition to behaviorism, which rejects the influence of instinct on behavior, especially in human beings. Likewise, after the work of Lorenz, the bases of ethology have contributed to the understanding of behavior between people and other animals.

Other contributions

Nikolaas Tinbergen (left), Konrad Lorenz (right) (1978). Max Planck Gesellschaft

Influence on psychology

Lorenz's contributions have made it possible to establish a relationship between the behavioral sciences and zoology. Similarly, the phenomenon of imprinting has helped researchers to understand that genetics is not usually expressed unilaterally, but rather requires the presence of a situation “predicted” by evolution that does not always manifest itself.

Foundation of the ethological discipline

In 1936 Lorenz met the biologist and ornithologist Niko Tinbergen, with whom he decided to undertake research on geese. Many scientists consider this to be the starting point for ethology, which is a discipline that studies animal behavior, especially in natural contexts.

The contributions of scientists such as Charles Darwin or Jean-Baptiste Lamarck are antecedents of ethology as a science.

However, this did not develop or become popular as we know it today until the arrival of the investigations of Tinbergen and Lorenz, which spread first to Europe and then to the United States.

It is important to note that ethology is a subordinate study of biology, although it also maintains a close relationship with psychology.

Consequently, ethology focuses on the behavior of animals leaving aside humans; instead, comparative psychology is dedicated to the differences and similarities between these and our species.

Plays

The most important works of Konrad Lorenz are the following:

- The companion in the environment of birds, published in 1935.

- When the man found the dog, 1950.

- The other face of the mirror, published in 1973.

- The foundations of ethology, completed in 1982.

- Ethology of the wild gray goose, published in 1988.

- The decadence of man, 1983.

References

1. Alcoberro, R. (sf.) Konrad Lorenz or the father of behavior theory. Retrieved on July 30, 2019 from Alcoberro: alcoberro.info
2. Figueroa, A. (sf) Konrad Lorenz: biography and theory of the father of ethology. Retrieved on July 30, 2019 from Psychology and Mind: psicologiaymente.com
3. Lorenz, K. (1972) On aggression: the alleged evil. Retrieved on July 30, 2019 from Cervantes Virtual: cervantesvirtual.com
4. SA (2018) Konrad Lorenz and the study of instinctive behavior of animals. Retrieved on July 30, 2019 from Scihi: scihi.org
5. SA (sf) Konrad Lorenz. Retrieved on July 30, 2019 from Wikipedia: es.wikipedia.org
6. SA (nd) Konrad Lorenz: biography, theory and Experiment. Retrieved on July 30, 2019 from Study: study.com
7. Sánchez, E. (2018) Konrad Lorenz, a legacy to awaken to life. Retrieved on Jul 30. of 19 of The mind is wonderful: lamenteesmaravillosa.com