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5 - Herschel’s Philosophy of Science

The Preliminary Discourse on the Study of Natural Philosophy and Beyond

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 May 2024

By
Lukas M. Verburgt
Edited by
Stephen Case  and
Lukas M. Verburgt
Stephen Case
Affiliation:
Olivet Nazarene University, Illinois
Lukas M. Verburgt
Affiliation:
Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study
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Summary

Ever since its publication in 1830–31, John Herschel’s Preliminary Discourse on the Study of Natural Philosophy has been recognized as epoch-making and canonical. It is rather surprising, therefore, that to date there exists little to no consensus on any aspect of the book, not even on what it is really about. This chapter provides a brief overview of the available literature on Herschel’s Preliminary Discourse. In doing so, it attempts to both improve upon and go beyond current Herschel scholarship.

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Information
The Cambridge Companion to John Herschel , pp. 99 - 126
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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