A central figure in Victorian science, William Whewell (1794-1866) held professorships in Mineralogy and Moral Philosophy at Trinity College, Cambridge, before becoming Master of the college in 1841. His mathematical textbooks, such as A Treatise on Dynamics (1823), were instrumental in bringing French analytical methods into British science. This three-volume history, first published in 1837, is one of Whewell's most famous works. Taking the 'acute, but fruitless, essays of Greek philosophy' as a starting point, it provides a history of the physical sciences that culminates with the mechanics, astronomy, and chemistry of 'modern times'. Volume 2 focuses on the rise and development of modern mechanics in the seventeenth century. Whewell shows how Galileo's laws of motion exemplify a paradigmatic shift from 'formal' to 'physical' sciences - a new approach concerned with explaining causes rather than merely observing phenomena. It also discusses the implications for physical astronomy of Newton's discoveries.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2010-09-09
Mått:140 x 216 x 31 mm
Vikt:690 g
Format:Häftad
Språk:Engelska
Serie:Cambridge Library Collection - Philosophy
Antal sidor:552
Förlag:Cambridge University Press
ISBN:9781108019255

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Filosofiska discipliner inom Filosofi och religion

Innehållsförteckning

Part I. The Mechanical Sciences; Book VI. History of Mechanics, Including Fluid Mechanics: 1. Prelude to the epoch of Galileo; 2. Inductive epoch of Galileo. Discovery of the laws of motion in simple cases; 3. Sequel to the epoch of Galileo. Period of verification and deduction; 4. Discovery of the mechanical principles of fluids; 5. Generalization of the principles of mechanics; 6. Sequel of the generalization of the principles of mechanics. Period of mathematical deduction. Analytical mechanics; Book VII. History of Physical Astronomy: 1. Prelude to the inductive epoch of Newton; 2. The inductive epoch of Newton. Discovery of the universal gravitation of matter, according to the law of the inverse square of the distance; 3. Sequel to the epoch of Newton. Reception of the Newtonian theory; 4. Sequel to the epoch of Newton, continued. Verification and completion of the Newtonian theory; 5. Discoveries added to the Newtonian theory; 6. The instruments and aids of astronomy during the Newtonian period; Part II. The Secondary Mechanical Sciences; Book VIII. History of Acoustics: 1. Prelude to the solution of problems in acoustics; 2. Problem of the vibrations of springs; 3. Problem of the propagation of sound; 4. Problem of different sounds of the same string; 5. Problem of the sounds of pipes; 6. Problem of different modes of vibration of bodies in general; Book IX. History of Optics, Formal and Physical: 1. Primary induction of optics. Rays of light and laws of reflection; 2. Discovery of the law of refraction; 3. Discovery of the law of dispersion by refraction; 4. Discovery of achromatism; 5. Discovery of the laws of double refraction; 6. Discovery of the laws of polarization; 7. Discovery of the laws of the colours of thin plates; 8. Attempts to discover the laws of other phenomena; 9. Discovery of the laws of phenomena of dipolarized light; 10. Prelude to the epoch of Young and Fresnel; 11. Epoch of Young and Fresnel; 12. Sequel to the epoch of Young and Fresnel. Reception of the undulatory theory; 13. Confirmation and extension of the undulatory theory; Book X. History of Thermotics and Atmology; 1. The doctrines of conduction and radiation; 2. The laws of changes occasioned by heat; 3. The relation of vapour and air; 4. Physical theories of heat.