David B. Wilson is Professor of History and Philosophy at Iowa State University. Among his publications are Did the Devil Make Darwin Do It? Modern Perspectives on the Creation-Evolution Controversy (1983) and Kelvin and Stokes: A Comparative Study in Victorian Physics (1987).

“David Wilson’s comprehensive study of Scottish Enlightenment natural philosophy explores in detail the extent to which chemical ideas shaped the teaching of natural philosophy in Scotland, the ways in which natural theological concerns drove natural philosophizing, and the ways in which metaphysical and epistemological concerns were incorporated into the teaching of natural philosophy. The scholarship is sound and reflects a thorough command of relevant printed and manuscript materials.”—Richard G. Olson, Harvey Mudd College

• ContentsList of IllustrationsPrefaceIntroduction: Descartes, Newton, and Leibniz1.Changing Newton: The Legacy of Early Scottish Newtonians, 1690–17402.Midcentury Glasgow University, 1740–17603.The Natural Philosophy of Common-Sense Philosophy: Thomas Reid and His Colleagues, 1760–17884.The Natural Philosophy of Chemistry: Joseph Black and His Disciples, 1760–17865.Contemplating Knowledge and Nature: John Anderson, 1760–17966.John Robison’s Phlogiston Physics, Circa 17807.John Robison’s Boscovichian Physics, Circa 18008.Turn-of-the-Century Edinburgh University, 1790–1810BibliographyIndex

David B. Wilson is Professor of History and Philosophy at Iowa State University. Among his publications are Did the Devil Make Darwin Do It? Modern Perspectives on the Creation-Evolution Controversy (1983) and Kelvin and Stokes: A Comparative Study in Victorian Physics (1987).

“David Wilson’s comprehensive study of Scottish Enlightenment natural philosophy explores in detail the extent to which chemical ideas shaped the teaching of natural philosophy in Scotland, the ways in which natural theological concerns drove natural philosophizing, and the ways in which metaphysical and epistemological concerns were incorporated into the teaching of natural philosophy. The scholarship is sound and reflects a thorough command of relevant printed and manuscript materials.”—Richard G. Olson, Harvey Mudd College

• ContentsList of IllustrationsPrefaceIntroduction: Descartes, Newton, and Leibniz1.Changing Newton: The Legacy of Early Scottish Newtonians, 1690–17402.Midcentury Glasgow University, 1740–17603.The Natural Philosophy of Common-Sense Philosophy: Thomas Reid and His Colleagues, 1760–17884.The Natural Philosophy of Chemistry: Joseph Black and His Disciples, 1760–17865.Contemplating Knowledge and Nature: John Anderson, 1760–17966.John Robison’s Phlogiston Physics, Circa 17807.John Robison’s Boscovichian Physics, Circa 18008.Turn-of-the-Century Edinburgh University, 1790–1810BibliographyIndex

David B. Wilson is Professor of History and Philosophy at Iowa State University. Among his publications are Did the Devil Make Darwin Do It? Modern Perspectives on the Creation-Evolution Controversy (1983) and Kelvin and Stokes: A Comparative Study in Victorian Physics (1987).

“David Wilson’s comprehensive study of Scottish Enlightenment natural philosophy explores in detail the extent to which chemical ideas shaped the teaching of natural philosophy in Scotland, the ways in which natural theological concerns drove natural philosophizing, and the ways in which metaphysical and epistemological concerns were incorporated into the teaching of natural philosophy. The scholarship is sound and reflects a thorough command of relevant printed and manuscript materials.”—Richard G. Olson, Harvey Mudd College

• ContentsList of IllustrationsPrefaceIntroduction: Descartes, Newton, and Leibniz1.Changing Newton: The Legacy of Early Scottish Newtonians, 1690–17402.Midcentury Glasgow University, 1740–17603.The Natural Philosophy of Common-Sense Philosophy: Thomas Reid and His Colleagues, 1760–17884.The Natural Philosophy of Chemistry: Joseph Black and His Disciples, 1760–17865.Contemplating Knowledge and Nature: John Anderson, 1760–17966.John Robison’s Phlogiston Physics, Circa 17807.John Robison’s Boscovichian Physics, Circa 18008.Turn-of-the-Century Edinburgh University, 1790–1810BibliographyIndex