Bøker av William Whewell

First published in 1840, this two-volume treatise by the Cambridge polymath William Whewell (1794-1886) rigorously explores the philosophy of the physical sciences. The work was intended as the counterpart to his three-volume History of the Inductive Sciences (1837), which is also reissued in this series.

A tutor of mathematics at Cambridge, William Whewell (1794-1866) mostly published on mechanics. He became professor of mineralogy in 1828, Knightbridge professor of moral philosophy in 1838, and master of Trinity College in 1841. This work is unusual among his writings for its focus on architecture, yet the emphasis placed on terminology is consistent with his other publications, such as An Essay on Mineralogical Classification and Nomenclature (1828). Architectural Notes is significant for offering a detailed theoretical analysis of the origins of Gothic architecture, especially of the mechanical principles underlying it, notably the pointed arch. The discussion of German churches, despite the book's title, is of secondary concern, although guidance is given for recording Gothic buildings. This first edition was published anonymously in 1830. The second (1835) and third (1842) editions bore Whewell's name and were partially revised to reflect recent research on the origin of the pointed arch.

Published in 1876, and written by the mathematician Isaac Todhunter (1820-84), this two-volume biography of one of Trinity College's most distinguished masters combines an account of Whewell's life with extracts from his personal letters. It includes correspondence with friends and colleagues including Sir John Herschel and Sir Charles Lyell.

Whewell's History, published in 1837, surveys the development of the physical sciences from Pythagoras to the early nineteenth century. Volume 1 focuses on ancient Greek physics and metaphysics and their reception during the middle ages. It also discusses the rise of modern astronomy as exemplified by Copernicus and Kepler.

A leading British intellectual of the Victorian era, William Whewell (1794-1866) was a contemporary and adviser of Herschel, Darwin and Faraday. A geologist, astronomer, theologian and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, he was best known for his works on moral philosophy and the history and philosophy of science, and for coining, among others, the term 'scientist'. This book, originally published in 1833, is one of a series of treatises published with the help of a legacy from the Earl of Bridgewater (d.1829), intended to contribute to an understanding of the world as created by God. Though an advocate of religion, Whewell accepts that progress in science leads to an understanding of the laws and processes of the natural world. He argues, however, that ultimately the scientific understanding of creation, astronomy, and the laws of the universe only serves to confirm the idea of a divine designer.