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History of the Inductive Sciences, from the Earliest to the Present Time

William Whewell · Public domain text

466,761 words · about 32 h 41 min to read

Cover of History of the Inductive Sciences, from the Earliest to the Present Time
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About this book

Cover of History of the Inductive Sciences, from the Earliest to the Present Time
Author
William Whewell (1794–1866)
Language
English
Subjects
Science › History
Length
466,761 words · about 32 h 41 min
Sections
228 reader sections · Table of contents

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Contents (228)
  1. Opening about 9 min
  2. Book I under 1 min
  3. I. PRELUDE TO THE GREEK SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY under 1 min
  4. II. THE GREEK SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY under 1 min
  5. III. FAILURE OF THE PHYSICAL PHILOSOPHY OF THE GREEK SCHOOLS under 1 min
  6. II. HISTORY OF THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES IN ANCIENT GREECE under 1 min
  7. I. EARLIEST STAGES OF MECHANICS AND HYDROSTATICS under 1 min
  8. III. HISTORY OF GREEK ASTRONOMY under 1 min
  9. I. EARLIEST STAGES OF ASTRONOMY under 1 min
  10. III. INDUCTIVE EPOCH OF HIPPARCHUS under 1 min
  11. IV. SEQUEL TO THE INDUCTIVE EPOCH OF HIPPARCHUS under 1 min
  12. IV. HISTORY OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE IN THE MIDDLE AGES under 1 min
  13. I. ON THE INDISTINCTNESS OF IDEAS OF THE MIDDLE AGES under 1 min
  14. II. THE COMMENTATORIAL SPIRIT OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 201 under 1 min
  15. III. OF THE MYSTICISM OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 211 under 1 min
  16. IV. OF THE DOGMATISM OF THE STATIONARY PERIOD under 1 min
  17. V. PROGRESS OF THE ARTS IN THE MIDDLE AGES under 1 min
  18. V. HISTORY OF FORMAL ASTRONOMY AFTER THE STATIONARY PERIOD under 1 min
  19. III. SEQUEL TO COPERNICUS. THE RECEPTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE COPERNICAN THEORY under 1 min
  20. IV. INDUCTIVE EPOCH OF KEPLER under 1 min
  21. VI. HISTORY OF MECHANICS, INCLUDING FLUID MECHANICS under 1 min
  22. I. PRELUDE TO THE EPOCH OF GALILEO under 1 min
  23. II. INDUCTIVE EPOCH OF GALILEO.--DISCOVERY OF THE LAWS OF MOTION IN SIMPLE CASES under 1 min
  24. IV. DISCOVERY OF THE MECHANICAL PRINCIPLES OF FLUIDS under 1 min
  25. V. GENERALIZATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF MECHANICS about 1 min
  26. I. PRELUDE TO THE INDUCTIVE EPOCH OF NEWTON. 385 under 1 min
  27. III. SEQUEL TO THE EPOCH OF NEWTON.--RECEPTION OF THE NEWTONIAN THEORY under 1 min
  28. IV. SEQUEL TO THE EPOCH OF NEWTON, CONTINUED. VERIFICATION AND COMPLETION OF THE NEWTONIAN THEORY under 1 min
  29. V. DISCOVERIES ADDED TO THE NEWTONIAN THEORY under 1 min
  30. VI. THE INSTRUMENTS AND AIDS OF ASTRONOMY DURING THE NEWTONIAN PERIOD under 1 min
  31. I. THE GREEK SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY under 1 min
  32. II. THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES IN ANCIENT GREECE under 1 min
  33. III. THE GREEK ASTRONOMY under 1 min
  34. IV. PHYSICAL SCIENCE IN THE MIDDLE AGES under 1 min
  35. V. FORMAL ASTRONOMY under 1 min
  36. VI. MECHANICS under 1 min
  37. VII. PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY about 23 min
  38. Introduction about 21 min
  39. I. PRELUDE TO THE GREEK SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY about 14 min
  40. II. THE GREEK SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY about 31 min
  41. III. FAILURE OF THE PHYSICAL PHILOSOPHY OF THE GREEK SCHOOLS about 26 min
  42. I. EARLIEST STAGES OF MECHANICS AND HYDROSTATICS about 7 min
  43. II. EARLIEST STAGES OF OPTICS about 9 min
  44. III. EARLIEST STAGES OF HARMONICS about 9 min
  45. I. EARLIEST STAGES OF ASTRONOMY about 49 min
  46. II. PRELUDE TO THE INDUCTIVE EPOCH OF HIPPARCHUS about 12 min
  47. III. INDUCTIVE EPOCH OF HIPPARCHUS about 22 min
  48. IV. SEQUEL TO THE INDUCTIVE EPOCH OF HIPPARCHUS about 48 min
  49. I. ON THE INDISTINCTNESS OF IDEAS OF THE MIDDLE AGES about 28 min
  50. II. THE COMMENTATORIAL SPIRIT OF THE MIDDLE AGES about 17 min
  51. III. OF THE MYSTICISM OF THE MIDDLE AGES about 31 min
  52. IV. OF THE DOGMATISM OF THE STATIONARY PERIOD about 21 min
  53. V. PROGRESS OF THE ARTS IN THE MIDDLE AGES about 27 min
  54. I. PRELUDE TO THE INDUCTIVE EPOCH OF COPERNICUS about 9 min
  55. Chapter II about 14 min
  56. Chapter III about 37 min
  57. IV. INDUCTIVE EPOCH OF KEPLER about 21 min
  58. Chapter V about 11 min
  59. I. PRELUDE TO THE EPOCH OF GALILEO about 18 min
  60. Chapter II about 33 min
  61. Chapter III about 9 min
  62. IV. DISCOVERY OF THE MECHANICAL PRINCIPLES OF FLUIDS about 13 min
  63. V. GENERALIZATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF MECHANICS about 19 min
  64. Chapter VI about 1 h 3 min
  65. Chapter II about 40 min
  66. Chapter III about 23 min
  67. Chapter IV about 52 min
  68. V. DISCOVERIES ADDED TO THE NEWTONIAN THEORY about 13 min
  69. Chapter VI about 32 min
  70. Introduction about 3 min
  71. II. THE GREEK SCHOOLS about 5 min
  72. III. FAILURE OF THE GREEK PHYSICAL PHILOSOPHY about 14 min
  73. Introduction about 3 min
  74. I. EARLIEST STAGES OF ASTRONOMY about 11 min
  75. V. PROGRESS IN THE MIDDLE AGES about 20 min
  76. I. PRELUDE TO COPERNICUS about 1 min
  77. II. THE COPERNICAN THEORY about 5 min
  78. III. SEQUEL TO COPERNICUS about 15 min
  79. III. PRINCIPLES AND PROBLEMS about 13 min
  80. I. PRELUDE TO NEWTON about 7 min
  81. III. THE PRINCIPIA about 4 min
  82. IV. VERIFICATION AND COMPLETION OF THE NEWTONIAN THEORY about 26 min
  83. Chapter VI about 2 min
  84. VIII. HISTORY OF ACOUSTICS under 1 min
  85. IX. HISTORY OF OPTICS, FORMAL AND PHYSICAL under 1 min
  86. IX. DISCOVERY OF THE LAWS OF PHENOMENA OF DIPOLARIZED LIGHT. 80 under 1 min
  87. XI. EPOCH OF YOUNG AND FRESNEL under 1 min
  88. XIII. CONFIRMATION AND EXTENSION OF THE UNDULATORY THEORY. 118 under 1 min
  89. X. HISTORY OF THERMOTICS AND ATMOLOGY under 1 min
  90. I. THE DOCTRINES OF CONDUCTION AND RADIATION under 1 min
  91. II. THE LAWS OF CHANGES OCCASIONED BY HEAT under 1 min
  92. III. THE RELATION OF VAPOR AND AIR under 1 min
  93. IV. PHYSICAL THEORIES OF HEAT under 1 min
  94. XI. HISTORY OF ELECTRICITY under 1 min
  95. II. THE PROGRESS OF ELECTRICAL THEORY. 201 under 1 min
  96. II. PROGRESS OF MAGNETIC THEORY under 1 min
  97. II. RECEPTION AND CONFIRMATION OF THE DISCOVERY OF VOLTAIC ELECTRICITY. 240 under 1 min
  98. VI. THEORY OF ELECTRODYNAMICAL ACTION under 1 min
  99. VII. CONSEQUENCES OF THE ELECTRODYNAMIC THEORY. 250 under 1 min
  100. IX. TRANSITION TO CHEMICAL SCIENCE. 256 under 1 min
  101. XIV. HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY under 1 min
  102. IV. DOCTRINE OF ACIDIFICATION AND COMBUSTION.--PHLOGISTIC THEORY under 1 min
  103. VI. EPOCH OF THE THEORY OF OXYGEN.--LAVOISIER under 1 min
  104. VIII. THEORY OF DEFINITE, RECIPROCAL, AND MULTIPLE PROPORTIONS under 1 min
  105. IX. EPOCH OF DAVY AND FARADAY under 1 min
  106. X. TRANSITION FROM THE CHEMICAL TO THE CLASSIFICATORY SCIENCES. 305 under 1 min
  107. Introduction under 1 min
  108. I. PRELUDE TO THE EPOCH OF DE LISLE AND HAÜY. 316 under 1 min
  109. V. RECEPTION AND CONFIRMATION OF THE DISTINCTION OF SYSTEMS OF CRYSTALLIZATION under 1 min
  110. VI. CORRECTION OF THE LAW OF THE SAME ANGLE FOR THE SAME SUBSTANCE under 1 min
  111. VII. ATTEMPTS TO ESTABLISH THE FIXITY OF OTHER PHYSICAL PROPERTIES.--WERNER. 336 under 1 min
  112. VIII. ATTEMPTS AT THE CLASSIFICATION OF MINERALS under 1 min
  113. XVI. HISTORY OF SYSTEMATIC BOTANY AND ZOOLOGY under 1 min
  114. III. FORMATION OF A SYSTEM OF ARRANGEMENT OF PLANTS under 1 min
  115. IV. THE REFORM OF LINNÆUS under 1 min
  116. VII. THE PROGRESS OF ICHTHYOLOGY. 419 under 1 min
  117. XVII. HISTORY OF PHYSIOLOGY AND COMPARATIVE ANATOMY under 1 min
  118. I. DISCOVERY OF THE ORGANS OF VOLUNTARY MOTION under 1 min
  119. II. DISCOVERY OF THE CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD under 1 min
  120. III. DISCOVERY OF THE MOTION OF THE CHYLE, AND CONSEQUENT SPECULATIONS under 1 min
  121. IV. EXAMINATION OF THE PROCESS OF REPRODUCTION IN ANIMALS AND PLANTS, AND CONSEQUENT SPECULATIONS under 1 min
  122. V. EXAMINATION OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND CONSEQUENT SPECULATIONS under 1 min
  123. VI. INTRODUCTION OF THE PRINCIPLE OF DEVELOPED AND METAMORPHOSED SYMMETRY under 1 min
  124. VII. PROGRESS OF ANIMAL MORPHOLOGY under 1 min
  125. VIII. THE DOCTRINE OF FINAL CAUSES IN PHYSIOLOGY under 1 min
  126. XVIII. HISTORY OF GEOLOGY under 1 min
  127. I. PRELUDE TO SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTIVE GEOLOGY under 1 min
  128. II. FORMATION OF SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTIVE GEOLOGY under 1 min
  129. III. SEQUEL TO THE FORMATION OF SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTIVE GEOLOGY under 1 min
  130. IV. ATTEMPTS TO DISCOVER GENERAL LAWS IN GEOLOGY under 1 min
  131. V. INORGANIC GEOLOGICAL DYNAMICS under 1 min
  132. VI. PROGRESS OF THE GEOLOGICAL DYNAMICS OF ORGANIZED BEINGS under 1 min
  133. VII. PROGRESS OF PHYSICAL GEOLOGY under 1 min
  134. VIII. THE TWO ANTAGONIST DOCTRINES OF GEOLOGY under 1 min
  135. VIII. ACOUSTICS under 1 min
  136. IX. OPTICS under 1 min
  137. X. THERMOTICS.--ATMOLOGY under 1 min
  138. XI. ELECTRICITY under 1 min
  139. XII. MAGNETISM under 1 min
  140. XIII. VOLTAIC ELECTRICITY under 1 min
  141. XIV. CHEMISTRY under 1 min
  142. XV. MINERALOGY under 1 min
  143. XVI. CLASSIFICATORY SCIENCES under 1 min
  144. XVII. PHYSIOLOGICAL AND COMPARATIVE ANATOMY under 1 min
  145. Book XVIII about 1 min
  146. Introduction about 2 min
  147. I. PRELUDE TO THE SOLUTION OF PROBLEMS IN ACOUSTICS about 7 min
  148. II. PROBLEM OF THE VIBRATIONS OF STRINGS about 8 min
  149. III. PROBLEM OF THE PROPAGATION OF SOUND about 8 min
  150. IV. PROBLEM OF DIFFERENT SOUNDS OF THE SAME STRING about 3 min
  151. V. PROBLEM OF THE SOUNDS OF PIPES about 4 min
  152. Chapter VI about 15 min
  153. Chapter I about 1 min
  154. II. DISCOVERY OF THE LAW OF REFRACTION about 8 min
  155. III. DISCOVERY OF THE LAW OF DISPERSION BY REFRACTION about 15 min
  156. IV. DISCOVERY OF ACHROMATISM about 5 min
  157. V. DISCOVERY OF THE LAWS OF DOUBLE REFRACTION about 6 min
  158. VI. DISCOVERY OF THE LAWS OF POLARIZATION about 7 min
  159. VII. DISCOVERY OF THE LAWS OF THE COLOURS OF THIN PLATES about 3 min
  160. VIII. ATTEMPTS TO DISCOVER THE LAWS OF OTHER PHENOMENA about 3 min
  161. IX. DISCOVERY OF THE LAWS OF PHENOMENA OF DIPOLARIZED LIGHT about 7 min
  162. X. PRELUDE TO THE EPOCH OF YOUNG AND FRESNEL about 12 min
  163. XI. EPOCH OF YOUNG AND FRESNEL about 34 min
  164. Chapter XII about 13 min
  165. XIII. CONFIRMATION AND EXTENSION OF THE UNDULATORY THEORY about 29 min
  166. I. THE DOCTRINES OF CONDUCTION AND RADIATION about 32 min
  167. II. THE LAWS OF CHANGES OCCASIONED BY HEAT about 9 min
  168. III. THE RELATION OF VAPOR AND AIR about 30 min
  169. IV. PHYSICAL THEORIES OF HEAT about 17 min
  170. 1. DISCOVERY OF LAWS OF ELECTRIC PHENOMENA about 15 min
  171. II. THE PROGRESS OF ELECTRICAL THEORY about 31 min
  172. II. PROGRESS OF MAGNETIC THEORY about 30 min
  173. Chapter II about 4 min
  174. Chapter III about 2 min
  175. IV. DISCOVERY OF ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ACTION.--OERSTED about 2 min
  176. V. DISCOVERY OF THE LAWS OF ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ACTION about 2 min
  177. VI. THEORY OF ELECTRODYNAMICAL ACTION about 8 min
  178. VII. CONSEQUENCES OF THE ELECTRODYNAMIC THEORY about 5 min
  179. Chapter VIII about 5 min
  180. IX. TRANSITION TO CHEMICAL SCIENCE about 6 min
  181. II. DOCTRINE OF ACID AND ALKALI.--SYLVIUS about 4 min
  182. III. DOCTRINE OF ELECTIVE ATTRACTIONS. GEOFFROY. BERGMAN about 4 min
  183. Chapter IV about 8 min
  184. V. CHEMISTRY OF GASES.--BLACK. CAVENDISH about 6 min
  185. VI. EPOCH OF THE THEORY OF OXYGEN.--LAVOISIER about 12 min
  186. VII. APPLICATION AND CORRECTION OF THE OXYGEN THEORY about 5 min
  187. VIII. THEORY OF DEFINITE, RECIPROCAL, AND MULTIPLE PROPORTIONS about 10 min
  188. IX. EPOCH OF DAVY AND FARADAY about 24 min
  189. X. TRANSITION FROM THE CHEMICAL TO THE CLASSIFICATORY SCIENCES about 13 min
  190. I. PRELUDE TO THE EPOCH OF DE LISLE AND HAÜY about 7 min
  191. Chapter II about 8 min
  192. III. RECEPTION AND CORRECTIONS OF THE HAUÏAN CRYSTALLOGRAPHY about 3 min
  193. Chapter IV about 6 min
  194. Chapter V about 6 min
  195. Chapter VI about 4 min
  196. Chapter VII about 3 min
  197. VIII. ATTEMPTS AT THE CLASSIFICATION OF MINERALS about 9 min
  198. Chapter IX about 18 min
  199. I. IMAGINARY KNOWLEDGE OF PLANTS about 5 min
  200. II. UNSYSTEMATIC KNOWLEDGE OF PLANTS about 14 min
  201. III. FORMATION OF A SYSTEM OF ARRANGEMENT OF PLANTS about 32 min
  202. IV. THE REFORM OF LINNÆUS about 29 min
  203. V. PROGRESS TOWARDS A NATURAL SYSTEM OF BOTANY about 14 min
  204. VI. THE PROGRESS OF SYSTEMATIC ZOOLOGY about 13 min
  205. VII. THE PROGRESS OF ICHTHYOLOGY about 26 min
  206. I. DISCOVERY OF THE ORGANS OF VOLUNTARY MOTION about 11 min
  207. II. DISCOVERY OF THE CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD about 13 min
  208. Chapter III about 5 min
  209. Chapter IV about 11 min
  210. Chapter V about 13 min
  211. Chapter VI about 12 min
  212. VII. PROGRESS OF ANIMAL MORPHOLOGY about 12 min
  213. VIII. THE DOCTRINE OF FINAL CAUSES IN PHYSIOLOGY about 34 min
  214. I. PRELUDE TO SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTIVE GEOLOGY about 9 min
  215. II. FORMATION OF SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTIVE GEOLOGY about 20 min
  216. III. SEQUEL TO THE FORMATION OF SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTIVE GEOLOGY about 24 min
  217. IV. ATTEMPTS TO DISCOVER GENERAL LAWS IN GEOLOGY about 8 min
  218. V. INORGANIC GEOLOGICAL DYNAMICS about 34 min
  219. VI. PROGRESS OF THE GEOLOGICAL DYNAMICS OF ORGANIZED BEINGS about 31 min
  220. VII. PROGRESS OF PHYSICAL GEOLOGY about 13 min
  221. VIII. THE TWO ANTAGONIST DOCTRINES OF GEOLOGY about 22 min
  222. III. SOUND about 6 min
  223. XIII. UNDULATORY THEORY about 4 min
  224. III. THE RELATION OF VAPOUR AND AIR about 3 min
  225. IV. THEORIES OF HEAT about 13 min
  226. VII. MAGNETO-ELECTRIC INDUCTION about 11 min
  227. IX. THE ELECTRO-CHEMICAL THEORY about 19 min
  228. VII. ANIMAL MORPHOLOGY about 19 min

The opening of Introduction

"A just story of learning, containing the antiquities and originals of KNOWLEDGES, and their sects; their inventions, their diverse administrations and managings; their flourishings, their oppositions, decays, depressions, oblivions, removes; with the causes and occasions of them, and all other events concerning learning, throughout all ages of the world; I may truly affirm to be wanting.

"The use and end of which work I do not so much design for curiosity, or satisfaction of those that are the lovers of learning: but chiefly for a more serious and grave purpose; which is this, in few words--that it will make learned men more wise in the use and administration of learning." BACON, Advancement of Learning, book ii.

{{41}}
INTRODUCTION.

IT is my purpose to write the History of some of the most important of the Physical Sciences, from the earliest to the most recent periods.

Read on in Part 1 →

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