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The Victorian period in Britain was an "age of reform." It is
therefore not surprising that two of the era's most eminent
intellects described themselves as reformers. Both William Whewell
and John Stuart Mill believed that by reforming
philosophy--including the philosophy of science--they could effect
social and political change. But their divergent visions of this
societal transformation led to a sustained and spirited controversy
that covered morality, politics, science, and economics. Situating
their debate within the larger context of Victorian society and its
concerns, "Reforming Philosophy" shows how two very different men
captured the intellectual spirit of the day and engaged the
attention of other scientists and philosophers, including the young
Charles Darwin.
Mill--philosopher, political economist, and
Parliamentarian--remains a canonical author of Anglo-American
philosophy, while Whewell--Anglican cleric, scientist, and
educator--is now often overlooked, though in his day he was
renowned as an authority on science. Placing their teachings in
their proper intellectual, cultural, and argumentative spheres,
Laura Snyder revises the standard views of these two important
Victorian figures, showing that both men's concerns remain relevant
today.
A philosophically and historically sensitive account of the
engagement of the major protagonists of Victorian British
philosophy, "Reforming Philosophy" is the first book-length
examination of the dispute between Mill and Whewell in its
entirety. A rich and nuanced understanding of the intellectual
spirit of Victorian Britain, it will be welcomed by philosophers
and historians of science, scholars of Victorian studies, and
students of the history of philosophy and political economy.
The Victorian period in Britain was an "age of reform." It is
therefore not surprising that two of the era's most eminent
intellects described themselves as reformers. Both William Whewell
and John Stuart Mill believed that by reforming
philosophy--including the philosophy of science--they could effect
social and political change. But their divergent visions of this
societal transformation led to a sustained and spirited controversy
that covered morality, politics, science, and economics. Situating
their debate within the larger context of Victorian society and its
concerns, "Reforming Philosophy" shows how two very different men
captured the intellectual spirit of the day and engaged the
attention of other scientists and philosophers, including the young
Charles Darwin.
Mill--philosopher, political economist, and
Parliamentarian--remains a canonical author of Anglo-American
philosophy, while Whewell--Anglican cleric, scientist, and
educator--is now often overlooked, though in his day he was
renowned as an authority on science. Placing their teachings in
their proper intellectual, cultural, and argumentative spheres,
Laura Snyder revises the standard views of these two important
Victorian figures, showing that both men's concerns remain relevant
today.
A philosophically and historically sensitive account of the
engagement of the major protagonists of Victorian British
philosophy, "Reforming Philosophy" is the first book-length
examination of the dispute between Mill and Whewell in its
entirety. A rich and nuanced understanding of the intellectual
spirit of Victorian Britain, it will be welcomed by philosophers
and historians of science, scholars of Victorian studies,
andstudents of the history of philosophy and political economy.
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