William Whewell

Cela a toujours ete une de mes plus cheres occupations et, je l'espere, le restera longtemps, que de deceler kes principes et les lois qui reglent le progres de la connaissance humaine, d'age en age, dans chacune de ses provinces ecrit Whewell dont la production, qui s'etend sur pres d'un demi-siecle, est aussi variee qu'abondante. Robert Blanche donne ici au public francophone le livre II du Nouvel Organum RenovatumI (1839) de William Whewell dans lequel est expose sa theorie de l'induction. Le choix de ce texte, seul disponible en francais, se justifie a la fois par la place centrale qu'occupe cette theorie dans la pensee de Whewell et par l'interet toujours actuel qu'elle a conserve. La plupart de ces pages, en particulier l'admirable chapitre sur les caracteres de l'induction scientifique, peuvent encore etre ecrites aujourd'hui. Et pour en mesurer l'actualite, il faut les comparer aux deux grands textes contemporains que sont le Cours de philosophie positive d'Auguste Comte et le Systeme de logique deductive et inductive de John Stuart Mill. Whewell propose une analyse minutieuse de la formation de la science telle qu'elle se fait: l'emploi de la libre hypothese est la regle, aucune methode, aucun procede logique rigoureux ne permet d'extraire les lois naturelles de la simple observation des faits, et d'ailleurs, il n'y a jamais dans la science d'observation pure et simple, le fait scientifique etant deja tout impregne de theorie.

Is there intelligent life on other worlds? William Whewell, one of the most influential British intellectuals of the nineteenth century, weighed in on this question with Of the Plurality of Worlds. Writing anonymously, Whewell argued that there was no life anywhere else in the universe. Admitting such a possibility, he feared, would threaten humanity's special relationship with God, and open the door to supporters of evolution. The publication of Plurality in 1853 ignited a bitter Victorian debate on science and religion. This book reprints the first edition in facsimile, together with a vigorous response to his critics that Whewell added later and new introductory and bibliographic material by noted Darwin scholar Michael Ruse. This edition also includes 84 typeset pages—never before published—that Whewell cut from the original book at the last moment. Showing clearly the theological underpinnings of Whewell's thinking, these chapters also reveal the difficulties facing any Victorian who tried to reconcile traditional Christian thought with the findings of modern science.

Is there intelligent life on other worlds? William Whewell, one of the most influential British intellectuals of the nineteenth century, weighed in on this question with Of the Plurality of Worlds. Writing anonymously, Whewell argued that there was no life anywhere else in the universe. Admitting such a possibility, he feared, would threaten humanity's special relationship with God, and open the door to supporters of evolution. The publication of Plurality in 1853 ignited a bitter Victorian debate on science and religion. This book reprints the first edition in facsimile, together with a vigorous response to his critics that Whewell added later and new introductory and bibliographic material by noted Darwin scholar Michael Ruse. This edition also includes 84 typeset pages—never before published—that Whewell cut from the original book at the last moment. Showing clearly the theological underpinnings of Whewell's thinking, these chapters also reveal the difficulties facing any Victorian who tried to reconcile traditional Christian thought with the findings of modern science.

Includes Whewell's seminal studies of the logic of induction (with his critique of Mill's theory), arguments for his realist view that science discovers necessary truths about nature, and exercises in the epistemology and ontology of science. This book sets forth a coherent statement of a historically important philosophy of science.

This volume includes Whewell's seminal studies of the logic of induction (with his critique of Mill’s theory), arguments for his realist view that science discovers necessary truths about nature, and exercises in the epistemology and ontology of science. The book sets forth a coherent statement of a historically important philosophy of science whose influence has never been greater: every one of Whewell's fundamental ideas about the philosophy of science is presented here.