William Whewell, Philosopher of Science

William Whewell, Philosopher of Science PDF Author: Menachem Fisch
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 248

Get Book Here

Book Description
William Whewell was one of the more prolific and influential writers of early Victorian England. This study reconstructs the historical origins of his two major works and evaluates their philosophical claims, and critically appraises Whewell's mature philosophical position.

William Whewell, Philosopher of Science

William Whewell, Philosopher of Science PDF Author: Menachem Fisch
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 248

Get Book Here

Book Description
William Whewell was one of the more prolific and influential writers of early Victorian England. This study reconstructs the historical origins of his two major works and evaluates their philosophical claims, and critically appraises Whewell's mature philosophical position.

Reforming Philosophy

Reforming Philosophy PDF Author: Laura J. Snyder
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226767353
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 397

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Victorian period in Britain was an “age of reform.” It is therefore not surprising that two of the era’s most eminent intellects described themselves as reformers. Both William Whewell and John Stuart Mill believed that by reforming philosophy—including the philosophy of science—they could effect social and political change. But their divergent visions of this societal transformation led to a sustained and spirited controversy that covered morality, politics, science, and economics. Situating their debate within the larger context of Victorian society and its concerns, Reforming Philosophy shows how two very different men captured the intellectual spirit of the day and engaged the attention of other scientists and philosophers, including the young Charles Darwin. Mill—philosopher, political economist, and Parliamentarian—remains a canonical author of Anglo-American philosophy, while Whewell—Anglican cleric, scientist, and educator—is now often overlooked, though in his day he was renowned as an authority on science. Placing their teachings in their proper intellectual, cultural, and argumentative spheres, Laura Snyder revises the standard views of these two important Victorian figures, showing that both men’s concerns remain relevant today. A philosophically and historically sensitive account of the engagement of the major protagonists of Victorian British philosophy, Reforming Philosophy is the first book-length examination of the dispute between Mill and Whewell in its entirety. A rich and nuanced understanding of the intellectual spirit of Victorian Britain, it will be welcomed by philosophers and historians of science, scholars of Victorian studies, and students of the history of philosophy and political economy.

William Whewell, a Composite Portrait

William Whewell, a Composite Portrait PDF Author: Menachem Fisch
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 424

Get Book Here

Book Description
This collection of essays examines the life of William Whewell, a widely influential figure in Victorian intellectual culture. The contributors, all recognized authorities in the fields of history, history of science, and philosophy, examine Whewell's contributions to such diverse areas as moral philosophy, mineralogy, architecture, the politics of education, physics, engineering, and theology. A wide-ranging study, the volume makes an important contribution to our understanding of Victorian intellectual life and its aftermath.

The Philosophical Breakfast Club

The Philosophical Breakfast Club PDF Author: Laura J. Snyder
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 0767930495
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 458

Get Book Here

Book Description
“[A] fascinating book...about the way four geniuses at Cambridge University revolutionized modern science.“ —Newsweek The Philosophical Breakfast Club recounts the life and work of four men who met as students at Cambridge University: Charles Babbage, John Herschel, William Whewell, and Richard Jones. Recognizing that they shared a love of science (as well as good food and drink) they began to meet on Sunday mornings to talk about the state of science in Britain and the world at large. Inspired by the great 17th century scientific reformer and political figure Francis Bacon—another former student of Cambridge—the Philosophical Breakfast Club plotted to bring about a new scientific revolution. And to a remarkable extent, they succeeded, even in ways they never intended. Historian of science and philosopher Laura J. Snyder exposes the political passions, religious impulses, friendships, rivalries, and love of knowledge—and power—that drove these extraordinary men. Whewell (who not only invented the word “scientist,” but also founded the fields of crystallography, mathematical economics, and the science of tides), Babbage (a mathematical genius who invented the modern computer), Herschel (who mapped the skies of the Southern Hemisphere and contributed to the invention of photography), and Jones (a curate who shaped the science of economics) were at the vanguard of the modernization of science. This absorbing narrative of people, science and ideas chronicles the intellectual revolution inaugurated by these men, one that continues to mold our understanding of the world around us and of our place within it. Drawing upon the voluminous correspondence between the four men over the fifty years of their work, Laura J. Snyder shows how friendship worked to spur the men on to greater accomplishments, and how it enabled them to transform science and help create the modern world. "The lives and works of these men come across as fit for Masterpiece Theatre.” —Wall Street Journal "Snyder succeeds famously in evoking the excitement, variety and wide-open sense of possibility of the scientific life in 19th-century Britain...splendidly evoked in this engaging book.” —American Scientist "This fine book is as wide-ranging and anecdotal, as excited and exciting, as those long-ago Sunday morning conversations at Cambridge. The Philosophical Breakfast Club forms a natural successor to Jenny Uglow’s The Lunar Men...and Richard Holmes’s The Age of Wonder.” —Washington Post

On the Philosophy of Discovery

On the Philosophy of Discovery PDF Author: William Whewell
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 604

Get Book Here

Book Description


The Connection of the Physical Sciences

The Connection of the Physical Sciences PDF Author: Mary Somerville
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Physical science
Languages : en
Pages : 390

Get Book Here

Book Description


The Plurality of Worlds ...

The Plurality of Worlds ... PDF Author: William Whewell
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Plurality of worlds
Languages : en
Pages : 328

Get Book Here

Book Description


Novum Organon Renovatum

Novum Organon Renovatum PDF Author: William Whewell
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 410

Get Book Here

Book Description


The Hedgehog, the Fox, and the Magister's Pox

The Hedgehog, the Fox, and the Magister's Pox PDF Author: Stephen Jay Gould
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674061667
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 286

Get Book Here

Book Description
In his final book, Gould offers a surprising and nuanced study of the complex relationship between our two great ways of knowing: science and the humanities, twin realms of knowledge that have been divided against each other for far too long.

William Whewell's Theory of Scientific Method

William Whewell's Theory of Scientific Method PDF Author: Robert E. Butts
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Pre
ISBN: 0822975262
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 373

Get Book Here

Book Description
William Whewell is considered one of the most important nineteenth-century British philosophers of science and a contributor to modern philosophical thought, particularly regarding the problem of induction and the logic of discovery. In this volume, Robert E. Butts offers selections from Whewell's most important writings, and analysis of counter-claims to his philosophy.