The Life and Legacy of the Father of Ethology
Konrad Zacharias Lorenz, born in 1903, was an Austrian zoologist, ethologist, and ornithologist whose pioneering studies revolutionised the understanding of animal behaviour.
“I have found the missing link between the higher ape and civilised man; it is we.” —Konrad Lorenz
Raised as the son of a distinguished surgeon, Lorenz initially pursued medicine before shifting to zoology, a field that allowed him to explore his passion for animal behaviour. His meticulous studies on imprinting—the process by which a newborn animal forms an attachment to its caregiver—particularly in greylag geese and jackdaws, laid the foundation for one of his most significant contributions to science.
He observed that domesticated animals often exhibited a weakening of social instincts and an increase in hunger and reproductive behaviours compared to their wild counterparts. This realisation led him to fear that human society was similarly deteriorating due to modern technologies. Tragically, this belief pushed him towards Nazi eugenics policies, an aspect of his life that casts a dark shadow over his legacy.
“Moved by this fear, I did a very ill-advised thing soon after the Germans had invaded Austria: I wrote about the dangers of domestication and, in order to be understood, I couched my writing in the worst of Nazi terminology. I do not want to extenuate this action. I did, indeed, believe that some good might come of the new rulers. The preceding narrow-minded Catholic regime in Austria induced better and more intelligent men than I was to cherish this naïve hope.
Practically all my friends and teachers did so, including my own father, who certainly was a kindly and humane man. None of us as much as suspected that the word “selection”, when used by these rulers, meant murder. I regret those writings not so much for the undeniable discredit they reflect on my person as for their effect of hampering the future recognition of the dangers of domestication.”
In 1940, Lorenz became a psychologist and, the following year, enlisted in the Wehrmacht. Hoping to serve as a motorcycle mechanic, he was instead assigned as a military psychologist to study whether so-called “German-Polish half-breeds” possessed the same “benefits” as “pure” Germans.
However, upon witnessing concentration camp transports, he fully grasped the horrors of Nazi ideology. Shortly thereafter, he was sent to the Russian front, only to be captured and imprisoned for four years in Soviet Armenia. Despite this, he was allowed to work as a medic, became fluent in Russian, and even formed friendships with fellow doctors. Upon his release, he returned home with the manuscript of what would become Behind the Mirror—and a pet starling.
In 1973, Lorenz, alongside Dutch biologist Nikolaas Tinbergen and Austrian ethologist Karl von Frisch, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his contributions to ethology. Among his students was the Czech zoologist Zdeněk Veselovský, further cementing his influence on the field.
Lorenz was sceptical of laboratory-based animal behaviour studies, believing that understanding an animal required observing its full range of behaviour in its natural context. Though not a traditional field researcher, he maintained a menagerie of animals at his home and worked closely with the Vienna Zoo, where he rehabilitated injured and maladjusted creatures. His talent for nurturing these animals even led to successful breeding efforts in captivity.
“There is no greater sin against the spirit of true art, no more contemptible dilettantism than to use artistic licence as a specious cover for ignorance of fact.” —Konrad Lorenz, King Solomon’s Ring
However, his past associations were not forgotten. In 2015, the University of Salzburg posthumously rescinded an honorary doctorate awarded to him in 1983, citing his party membership and his claim that he had “always been a National Socialist.” The university accused him of using his work to propagate fundamental aspects of Nazi racial ideology.
In the final years of his life, Lorenz supported Austria’s fledgling Green Party and, in 1984, became the figurehead of the Konrad Lorenz Volksbegehren, a grassroots movement that successfully prevented the construction of a power plant on the Danube near Hainburg an der Donau, preserving the surrounding woodland.
A Personal Reflection
My first encounter with Lorenz’s work was a few years ago through a Czech translation of The Waning of Humaneness (Der Abbau des Menschlichen, 1983). It was recommended to me by my wife, and at the time, I knew little of Lorenz’s life and work. Yet, his voice felt oddly familiar, as if echoing a truth I had long recognised: the absence of any fundamental distinction between capitalist and totalitarian systems.
Though my heart belongs to classical literature and fantasy, I often turn to non-fiction as nourishment for my analytical and contemplative mind. Lorenz’s work has provided intellectual sustenance akin to that of C. G. Jung, whose writings have helped me battle the demons of melancholy and depression for years. I hope to explore more of Lorenz’s works in the future, particularly Civilised Man’s Eight Deadly Sins and On Aggression, though I have also heard that King Solomon’s Ring is essential reading.
I am equally intrigued by the Wonderful Adventures of Nils by Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf, a childhood favourite of Lorenz’s that ignited his lifelong fascination with geese.
Overall, I value Lorenz’s legacy and do not consider it diminished by his connections to the Nazi regime. The lives of great individuals are often tinged with darkness, and it is easy to condemn those who are no longer here to defend themselves.
But who among us can say with certainty what choices we would have made in their place? Or what errors we might yet commit in our pursuit of our own convictions?
Konrad Lorenz was a singular figure, a man who dedicated his life to study with passion and a belief in the betterment of society. His work laid the foundation for modern ethology and paved the way for many talented zoologists. His legacy, like all legacies, is complex, yet it remains undeniably significant.
Exploring Lorenz’s work is not just a study of animal behaviour—it is an exploration of ourselves. Whether one agrees with all his views or not, his writings challenge us to think critically about society, nature, and the forces shaping our instincts. For those interested in diving deeper, his books remain as thought-provoking today as when they were first written.
Yours Truly,
Nathaniel Wonderful
Author
nathanielwonderful@gmail.com
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