Everything about William Whewell totally explained
William Whewell (
May 24,
1794 –
March 6,
1866) was an English
polymath,
scientist,
Anglican priest,
philosopher,
theologian, and
historian of science. His surname is pronounced "hew-el."
Early life and career
Whewell was born in
Lancaster,
England. His father, a carpenter, wished him to follow his trade, but his success in
mathematics at
Lancaster and
Heversham grammar schools won him an
exhibition (a type of scholarship) at
Trinity College, Cambridge (1812). He was
Second Wrangler in
1816, President of the
Cambridge Union Society in
1817, became fellow and tutor of his college, and, in
1841, succeeded
Dr Christopher Wordsworth as master. He was
professor of
mineralogy from
1828 to
1832 and
Knightbridge Professor of Philosophy (then called "moral theology and casuistical divinity") from
1838 to
1855.
Scientific generalist
Multiple disciplines
What is most often remarked about Whewell is the breadth of his endeavours. At a time when men of science were becoming increasingly specialised, Whewell appears as a vestige of an earlier era when men of science dabbled in a bit of everything. He researched ocean tides (for which he won the Royal Medal), published work in the disciplines of
mechanics,
physics,
geology,
astronomy, and
economics, while also finding the time to compose
poetry, author a
Bridgewater Treatise, translate the works of
Goethe, and write
sermons and
theological tracts.
Tracing the history and development of science
For all these pursuits, it comes as no surprise that his best-known works are two voluminous books which attempt to map and systematize the development of the sciences,
History of the Inductive Sciences (1837) and
The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences, Founded Upon Their History (1840). While the History traced how each branch of the sciences had evolved since antiquity, Whewell viewed the
Philosophy as the “Moral” of the previous work as it sought to extract a universal theory of knowledge through the history he'd just traced. In the
Philosophy, Whewell attempted to follow
Francis Bacon's plan for discovery of an effectual art of discovery. He examined ideas ("explication of conceptions") and by the "colligation of facts" endeavoured to unite these ideas with the facts and so construct science. But no art of discovery, such as Bacon anticipated, follows, for "invention, sagacity, genius" are needed at each step.
Whewell's three steps of induction
Whewell analysed
inductive reasoning into three steps:
- The selection of the (fundamental) idea, such as space, number, cause, or likeness (resemblance);
- The formation of the conception, or more special modification of those ideas, as a circle, a uniform force, etc.; and,
- The determination of magnitudes.
Upon these follow special methods of induction applicable to quantity: the method of curves, the method of means, the method of least squares and the method of residues, and special methods depending on resemblance (to which the transition is made through the law of continuity), such as the method of gradation and the method of natural classification. In
Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences Whewell was the first to use the term "
consilience" to discuss the unification of knowledge between the different branches of learning.
Opponent of English empiricism
Here, as in his
ethical doctrine, Whewell was moved by opposition to contemporary
English empiricism. Following
Immanuel Kant, he asserted against
John Stuart Mill the
a priori nature of necessary truth, and by his rules for the construction of conceptions he dispensed with the inductive methods of Mill.
Whewell's neologisms
One of Whewell's greatest gifts to science was his wordsmithing. He often corresponded with many in his field and helped them come up with
new terms for their discoveries. In fact, Whewell came up with the term
scientist itself. (They had previously been known as "men of science"). Whewell also contributed the terms
physicist,
consilience,
catastrophism, and
uniformitarianism, amongst others; Whewell suggested the terms
anode and
cathode to
Michael Faraday; this terminology persists in electrical technology to this day.
Work in college administration
Whewell was prominent not only in scientific research and philosophy, but also in
university and college administration. His first work,
An Elementary Treatise on Mechanics (1819), cooperated with those of
George Peacock and
John Herschel in reforming the Cambridge method of mathematical teaching. His work and publications also helped influence the recognition of the moral and natural sciences as an integral part of the Cambridge curriculum. In general, however, especially in later years, he opposed reform: he defended the
tutorial system, and in a controversy with
Connop Thirlwall (1834), opposed the admission of
Dissenters; he upheld the clerical fellowship system, the privileged class of "fellow-commoners," and the authority of heads of colleges in university affairs. He opposed the appointment of the University Commission (1850), and wrote two pamphlets (
Remarks) against the reform of the university (1855). He stood against the scheme of entrusting elections to the members of the senate and instead, advocated the use of college funds and the subvention of scientific and professorial work.
Whewell's interests in architecture
Aside from Science, Whewell was also interested in the
history of architecture throughout his life. He is best known for his writings on
Gothic architecture, specifically his book,
Architectural Notes on German Churches (first published in 1830). In this work, Whewell established a strict nomenclature for German Gothic churches and came up with a theory of stylistic development. His work is associated with the "scientific trend" of architectural writers, along with
Thomas Rickman and
Robert Willis.
Whewell's works in philosophy and morals
Between 1835 and 1861 Whewell produced various works on the philosophy of
morals and
politics, the chief of which,
Elements of Morality, including
Polity, was published in 1845. The peculiarity of this work--written, of course, from what is known as the
intuitional point of view--is its fivefold division of the springs of action and of their objects, of the primary and universal rights of man (personal security, property, contract, family rights and government), and of the cardinal virtues (
benevolence,
justice,
truth,
purity and
order).
Among Whewell's other works—too numerous to mention—were popular writings such as the third
Bridgewater Treatise Astronomy and General Physics considered with reference to Natural Theology (1833), and the essay,
Of the Plurality of Worlds (1854), in which he argued against the
probability of
life on other planets, and also the
Platonic Dialogues for English Readers (1850-1861), the
Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy in England (1852), the essay,
Of a Liberal Education in General, with particular reference to the Leading Studies of the University of Cambridge (1845), the important edition and abridged translation of
Hugo Grotius,
De jure belli ac pacis (1853), and the edition of the
Mathematical Works of
Isaac Barrow (1860).
Whewell was one of the Cambridge
dons whom
Charles Darwin met during
his education there, and after
the Beagle voyage when Darwin was at the very start of
The Origin of Species Darwin placed a citation from Whewell's
Bridgewater Treatise showing his ideas to be founded on a
natural theology of a creator establishing laws:
"But with regard to the material world, we can at least go so
far as this-we can perceive that events are brought about not by
insulated interpositions of Divine power, exerted in each particular
case, but by the establishment of general laws."
Birth, Childhood, Life, Death and legacy
Francis Galton recounts how
"Whewell, wonderful to say, has fallen in love with an Ullswater beauty, Miss Marshall, and is going to marry her. She is very rich and of very good family, hence our continual conversation at Browtop is in surmises as to how Whewell would set to work to make love, he's nearly 50, she a little more than 20." (External Link
)
Whewell died in Cambridge 1866 as a result of a fall from his horse
Full bibliographical details are given by Isaac Todhunter, W. Whewell: an Account of his Writings (2 vols., 1876). See also Life of W. Whewell, by Mrs Stair Douglas (1881).
Honors and Recognitions
The Moon's Whewell crater is named after him.
The Gothic buildings known as Whewell's Court in Trinity College, Cambridge, are also named after him.
The mineral whewellite is named after him.Further Information
Get more info on 'William Whewell'.
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