Practical optics and polemical purposes in seventeenth-century England
What follows is a study of the prevalence and value of practical work in seventeenth-century English optics. I argue, firstly, that practical work â involving instruments and experiments â was a major aspect of the discipline at this time and, secondly, that a major purpose of this work was what I call âpolemicalâ in character. The first claim is directed at histories of seventeenth-century optics, which have tended to focus on the development of theories about light and vision, at the expense of the practical work that was such a prominent feature of the field. The second claim is directed at works on the ârhetoric of scienceâ, which have tended to focus on a scientistâs deployment of various means, such as practical work, in a bid to persuade an audience that he or she is right about an aspect of the natural world, whereas my take on seventeenth-century natural philosophy is that practical work could serve another important function: it could act to persuade an audience that the ideas of a rival were wrong. The four chapters take the form of case-studies, examining in detail the practical work of Francis Bacon, Thomas Hobbes, Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton, each man the leading English optical
Everest, James
Practical optics and polemical purposes in seventeenth-century England. What follows is a study of the prevalence and value of practical work in seventeenth-century English optics. I argue, firstly, that practical work â involving instruments and experiments â was a major aspect of the discipline at this time and, secondly, that a major purpose of this work was what I call âpolemicalâ in character. The first claim is directed at histories of seventeenth-century optics, which have tended to focus on the development of theories about light and vision, at the expense of the practical work that was such a prominent feature of the field. The second claim is directed at works on the ârhetoric of scienceâ, which have tended to focus on a scientistâs deployment of various means, such as practical work, in a bid to persuade an audience that he or she is right about an aspect of the natural world, whereas my take on seventeenth-century natural philosophy is that practical work could serve another important function: it could act to persuade an audience that the ideas of a rival were wrong. The four chapters take the form of case-studies, examining in detail the practical work of Francis Bacon, Thomas Hobbes, Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton, each man the leading English optical
practical polemical purpose seventeenth_century_england follow study prevalence value practical work seventeenth_century english argue firstly practical work involve instrument major aspect discipline time secondly major purpose work call polemical character first claim directed history seventeenth_century tend_focus development theory light vision expense practical work prominent feature field second claim direct work rhetoric science tend_focus scientist deployment various mean practical work bid persuade audience right aspect natural_world whereas take seventeenth_century natural_philosophy practical work could serve another_important function could act persuade audience idea rival wrong take_form case_studies examine_detail practical work thomas_hobbes isaac newton man lead english optical