s ▁( 1 7 2 4 – 1 8 0 4 ) ▁challenge ▁calling ▁for ▁critical ▁inqu iry ▁as ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁science . ▁ ▁The ▁ess ence ▁of ▁rom antic ▁medicine ▁was ▁to ▁overcome ▁the ▁deep ▁crisis ▁that ▁Western ▁medicine ▁found ▁itself ▁in ▁during ▁the ▁latter ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 0 0 s ▁by ▁means ▁of ▁a ▁science ▁of ▁life ▁( path ology ▁and ▁phys i ology ▁ground ed ▁in ▁history ) ▁that ▁went ▁beyond ▁the ▁simple ▁application ▁of ▁the ▁method ▁of ▁the ▁in ert ial ▁sciences ▁( physics ▁and ▁chem istry , ▁ground ed ▁in ▁mathematics ) ▁that ▁had ▁worked ▁so ▁well ▁for ▁in ert ▁nature , ▁but ▁was ▁found ▁wanting ▁when ▁applied ▁to ▁vital ▁nature , ▁but ▁also ▁a ▁science ▁of ▁life ▁that ▁went ▁beyond ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁medicine ▁as ▁a ▁subject ive ▁art ▁largely ▁to ▁be ▁left ▁to ▁individual ▁practice . ▁The ▁Zeit ge ist ▁of ▁Rom antic ▁medicine ▁sought ▁to ▁un ite ▁the ▁une asy ▁partners hip ▁of ▁material ▁natural ▁science ▁and ▁subject ive ▁clin ical ▁practice ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁true ▁scientific ▁foundation ▁for ▁Western ▁medicine ▁( see ▁also ▁Rom antic ism ▁and ▁ep ist em ology ) ▁ ▁The ▁question ▁of ▁life ▁ ▁The ▁issue ▁of ▁life ▁– ▁what ▁is ▁life ? ▁– ▁or ▁the ▁scientific ▁inqu iry ▁and ▁quest ▁( quest io ) ▁regarding ▁vital ▁nature ▁was ▁one ▁that ▁increasing ly ▁drew ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁philosoph ers ▁and ▁scient ists ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 0 0 s , ▁following ▁the ▁great ▁adv ances