Against Self-Organization: Redefining Vitality with William Blake in Jerusalem and The Four Zoas

Abstract:At the heart of the eighteenth-century life sciences lay the debate between preformation and epigenesis, two competing theories of generation. This article argues that Blake, incorporating opposing scientific theories into one mythological framework, drew heavily on preformationist ideas and imagery to contrast the eternal forms of spiritual life against material, autopoietic semblances of vitality. For Blake, life was characterised not by generative plasticity but by our inexhaustible capacity for regeneration and rebirth. Ultimately, this article not only situates Blake within a rich tradition of preformationist ideas, but also attempts to re-evaluate contemporary assumptions concerning the Romantic conception of life.