Author Description
Wilhelm Whewell was one on the most prolific and influential writers of early Victorian England. Fisch reconstructs the historical origins of Whewell's two works, History of the Inductive Sciences from the Earliest to the Present Time and Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences Founded upon their History, and evaluates their philosophical claims. In the last part of the book the author gives a critical appraisal of Whewell's mature philosophical position, having first traced the development of his thought. Whewell emerges as the only writer of his generation to have risen fully to the philosophical challenge of the mathematical physics of his day, and to have established in response a theory of science intriguingly akin to the new theories of emergence which were being offered by Lyell and Darwin.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the intellectual development and philosophical contributions of William Whewell, a central figure in Victorian scientific thought. Menachem Fisch, a scholar of history and philosophy, utilizes a rigorous analysis of Whewell's primary texts to map the evolution of his theories. By situating Whewell within the context of 19th-century mathematical physics, the author argues that Whewell’s work provided a sophisticated, coherent framework for understanding scientific induction that anticipated later theories of emergence.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A detailed historical reconstruction of the origins of 'History of the Inductive Sciences' and 'Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences'.
- An evaluation of Whewell’s philosophical claims regarding the nature of scientific discovery and inductive reasoning.
- A critical appraisal of Whewell’s mature philosophical position and its relationship to the work of contemporaries like Lyell and Darwin.
- An analysis of the intersection between Victorian mathematical physics and emerging scientific methodologies.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars recognize this text as a definitive study on Whewell’s intellectual contributions to the philosophy of science. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational resource for those studying the history of Victorian scientific thought.
Page Count:
220
Publication Date:
1991-06-06
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0198242409
ISBN-13:
9780198242406
Science
Biography
Philosophy
Philosophy British
Science
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