Mesology


Mesology is a former term for the science ecology – the study of the mutual relationships between living creatures and their biological, social, and environmental surroundings.

History

The term mesology was introduced by the English color theorist and philosopher George Field in a book published in 1839, Outlines of Analogical Philosophy. The term was later discussed in 1860 in a book by Louis-Adolphe Bertillon. Similar in spirit to Field's interpretation, Bertillon's aim was to create a branch of biology that would describe the relationship between the environment and the organisms living inside it. Bertillon derived the concept from the French expression, with the same meaning, "Science des milieux". Later, he expanded the concept towards sociology.
Today the word mesology is mainly used in the French language or Portuguese language. In English, the form most often used is ecology, which is the preferred term.