◂ ALL MATCHUPS
▸ HEAD-TO-HEAD

LYNN MARGULIS VS STEPHEN JAY GOULD

Lynn Margulis
1938–2011
Patient mapper of how things fit.
Stephen Jay Gould
1941–2002
Patient mapper of how things fit.

▸ WHERE THEY SHARPLY DISAGREED

The three dimensions on which Lynn Margulis and Stephen Jay Gould are farthest apart on Mull's 0–10 scale.

  • Communal EmbeddednessΔ 2 / 10
    Lynn Margulis: 6/10
    Stephen Jay Gould: 4/10

    somewhat (2/10): Lynn Margulis locates the self in community and relationship; Stephen Jay Gould starts from the individual.

  • Tragic VisionΔ 1 / 10
    Lynn Margulis: 4/10
    Stephen Jay Gould: 5/10

    somewhat (1/10): Stephen Jay Gould sees tragedy and limit as central; Lynn Margulis doesn't make that the starting point.

  • Vital AffirmationΔ 0 / 10
    Lynn Margulis: 6/10
    Stephen Jay Gould: 6/10

    somewhat (0/10): Stephen Jay Gould affirms life as it is more readily; Lynn Margulis qualifies that affirmation.

▸ WHERE THEY OVERLAPPED

Where the gap is smallest — both with meaningful presence on the dimension (not "neither cared").

  • Universalist Impulsegap 0 / 10
    Lynn Margulis: 5/10
    Stephen Jay Gould: 5/10

    Both register moderate universalist impulse.

  • Embodied Sensibilitygap 0 / 10
    Lynn Margulis: 4/10
    Stephen Jay Gould: 4/10

    Both keep embodied sensibility muted.

  • Ascetic Tendencygap 0 / 10
    Lynn Margulis: 4/10
    Stephen Jay Gould: 4/10

    Both keep ascetic tendency muted.

▸ ALL 16 DIMENSIONS

The full vector comparison. Bars show their 0–10 scores side-by-side.

  • Ascetic TendencyΔ 0
  • Communal EmbeddednessΔ 2
  • Embodied SensibilityΔ 0
  • Mystical ReceptivityΔ 0
  • Practical OrientationΔ 0
  • Reverence for TraditionΔ 0
  • Self as IllusionΔ 0
  • Skeptical ReflexΔ 0
  • Sovereign SelfΔ 0
  • Theoretical DriveΔ 0
  • Trust in ExperienceΔ 0
  • Trust in ReasonΔ 0
  • Tragic VisionΔ 1
  • Universalist ImpulseΔ 0
  • Vital AffirmationΔ 0
  • Will to PowerΔ 0
◀ LYNN MARGULISSTEPHEN JAY GOULD ▶
▶ What to do next

Where do you sit between Lynn Margulis and Stephen Jay Gould?

  1. 01 · QUIZ
    The Inheritor
    Take the quiz — see which of them you sit closer to on the map.
    CONTINUE ▶
  2. 02 · PROFILE
    Susan Wolf
    A third thinker who sits between them — useful for triangulating.
    CONTINUE ▶
  3. 03 · ARENA
    Argue Lynn Margulis
    Face Lynn Margulis in a 5-minute single-turn debate, judged on rigor.
    CONTINUE ▶