Science and the Enlightenment

This book is a general history of eighteenth-century developments in physical and life sciences.

Thomas L. Hankins (Author)

9780521286190, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 26 April 1985

226 pages, 31 b/w illus.
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.3 cm, 0.34 kg

"The first book-length account of eighteenth century science since Abraham Wolf's 1939 edition of History of Science, Technology, and Philosophy in the Eighteenth Century, this is a valuable update of both the history of science and the Enlightenment." William S. Gorman, Science Books & Films

Science and the Enlightenment is a general history of eighteenth-century science covering both the physical and life sciences. It places the scientific developments of the century in the cultural context of the Enlightenment and reveals the extent to which scientific ideas permeated the thought of the age. The book takes advantage of topical scholarship, which is rapidly changing our understanding of science during the eighteenth century. In particular it describes how science was organized into fields that were quite different from those we know today. Professor Hankins's work is a much needed addition to the literature on eighteenth-century science. His study is not technical; it will be of interest to all students of the Enlightenment and the history of science, as well as to the general reader with some background in science.

Preface
1. The character of the enlightenment
2. Mathematics and the exact sciences
3. Experimental physics
4. Chemistry
5. Natural history and physiology
6. The moral sciences
Bibliographic essay
Sources of quotations
Index.

Subject Areas: History of science [PDX]