The Electric Theories of J. Clerk Maxwell - A Historical and Critical Study (Hardcover, 2015 ed.)

In this volume Pierre Duhem first gives an overview of 19th century electricity and magnetism. Next, he applies his keen historical, philosophical, and physical intuition to critiquing Maxwell's theories, especially his electromagnetic theory of light and the ad hoc introduction of displacement current, which he considers too much a product of the "esprit de geometrie" than the "esprit de finesse," as Pascal calls it. In this book, Duhem is guided by the principle that a theory that offers contradictions, even if the theory is posed by a genius, needs to be analysed and discussed until a clear distinction can be made between the propositions likely to be logically demonstrated and statements that offend logic and which must be transformed or rejected. Furthermore, Duhem felt, in criticizing such a theory one must guard against narrowness of mind and petty corrections which would make one forget the merit of the inventor; and, more importantly, one must guard against the blind superstition which, for admiration of the author, would hide the serious defects of the work. He is not so great a genius that he surpasses the laws of reason. Pierre Duhem (1861-1916), chairman of theoretical physics at Bordeaux in 1984-1916, is well-known for his works in the history and philosophy of science.

General

Imprint:	Springer International Publishing AG
Country of origin:	Switzerland
Series:	Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science, 314
Release date:	June 2015
First published:	2015
Translators:	Alan Aversa
Authors:	Pierre Maurice Marie Duhem
Dimensions:	235 x 155 x 13mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover - Cloth over boards
Pages:	185
Edition:	2015 ed.
ISBN-13:	978-3-319-18514-9
Categories:	Books > Science & Mathematics > Science: general issues > Philosophy of science Books > Science & Mathematics > Science: general issues > History of science
LSN:	3-319-18514-4
Barcode:	9783319185149

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