MacTutor
In the life of WILLIAM WHEWELL, we have a striking example of the way in which in this country a man of real intellectual power, and determination of character, may break through the trammels imposed by humble birth; he was born on May 24, 1794, at Lancaster, where his father was a house-carpenter; his intellectual strength appears to have come from the mother's side. He was educated first at a grammar-school of his native place, and afterwards at Heversham, whither he removed in order to be qualified for holding an exhibition to Trinity College, Cambridge, connected with that school. Having gained this exhibition, then worth about £50 a year, he commenced residence at Trinity as a sub-sizar in October 1812. He soon became known in the College as the most promising man of his year. He was elected in due course to a foundation sizarship and to a scholarship. In his second year he gained the Chancellor's medal for the best English poem on the subject of "Boadicea." In the mathematical tripos of 1816, he graduated as second wrangler, the first place being gained by Jacob of Caius College. The Smith's Prize examination gave the same result. He was elected Fellow of Trinity in the following year, and soon afterwards commenced lecturing on mathematics as assistant tutor. His first book was An Elementary Treatise on Mechanics, vol. i. containing Statics and part of Dynamics. This work was published in 1819, but does not appear to have been followed by an ostensible vol. ii. It was a work of great value, strikingly logical and accurate. It is considered by one of our most eminent living mathematicians to have been very far in advance of any then existing text-book in the clearness and correctness of the treatment of bodies in contact and in the precision with which the assumptions involved in the laws of motion and the composition of forces are stated and illustrated. This work was followed by no less than twelve separate treatises on mechanics and Newton, Whewell was an advocate for the substitution of algebraical methods and modern calculus for the purely geometrical methods of former times, believing that it was only by these analytical methods that we could obtain solutions of our great physical problems, but he strongly insisted upon the necessity of studying the geometrical methods as an aid to a right understanding of our algebra. His view on this point is clearly expressed in the preface to his edition of Newton's Three First Sections. "It is very desirable that the mathematical student, before he rushes forward to differentiate and integrate upon the slightest provocation, should employ some thoughts in understanding the construction and trustworthiness of the instrument which he is so familiarly to use."
He was ordained soon after taking his M.A. degree. He became Tutor in 1823, and continued to discharge all the duties of the office alone till 1833, when he associated with himself Mr. Perry, the present Bishop of Melbourne. He remained tutor till 1839. During all this time he took a most active share in College and University business; serving with the greatest readiness on syndicates and committees.
In 1821 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, which in 1837 accorded to him a Royal Medal for his investigations on the subject of the Tides.
His researches on the Tides undoubtedly constituted his principal direct contribution to the advancement of Science. He contributed no less than fourteen papers, and one supplementary paper, on this subject to the Royal Society. These papers will be found scattered through the Philosophical Transactions from 1833 to 1850. They are all of a similar character. Whewell attempted, from a discussion of Tidal Observations, to deduce empirically the laws of the tides at particular ports, and to trace any connexions which might exist between the constants which he thus obtained. He compared his results with Bernoulli's theory, and clearly pointed out those points which the theory could offer some explanation of, and those points which it could not touch. His great merit, in these researches, appears to have been the large and comprehensive views he took of the subject, and the energy with which he obtained the aid of and organised a body of observers for the contemporaneous observation of tidal phenomena all over the world.
It may be mentioned, to show that Whewell had a taste for practical science, although his path through life did not lead him in this direction, that he volunteered to and did assist the present Astronomer Royal in the pendulum experiments for the determination of the mean density of the Earth, made in a mine at Dolcoath, in Cornwall, in 1826 and 1828. These experiments both terminated in an unsatisfactory manner; the observers in 1826 had their instruments injured through a fire, and in 1828 the water broke into the mine, and thus put a stop to their operations.
In 1828, Whewell was made Professor of Mineralogy in the University of Cambridge. To prepare himself for this chair he went to Germany, and studied for some time under Professor Mohs. He also availed himself of his friendship with Professor Sedgwick to accompany him on his geological expeditions. In 1832 Whewell resigned this chair, and was succeeded by Dr. Miller.
He was one of the founders of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, and one of the most active promoters of the British Association.
In 1837 he published his magnum opus, the History of the Inductive Sciences. In the composition of this work he sought and received the most valuable assistance from a number of men eminent in their respective departments. For range of knowledge, for depth and grasp of thought, for lucidity of style, the History has few rivals in modern times. The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences was published in 1841. This work was not so popular as its predecessor.
In 1838 he accepted the Professorship of Moral Philosophy, and henceforth he was to a great extent lost to physical science. In Moral Philosophy he was an ardent advocate for the rejection of Paley's basis of moral obligation, and substitution of that of moral sense; and he succeeded at last in expelling Paley's Moral Philosophy from the University. He wrote a valuable text-book on Moral Philosophy for the use of the University.
In October 1841 he succeeded Dr. Wordsworth in the Mastership of Trinity. And nobly did he uphold the pre-eminence of that College in the University.
He was twice married; first, in 1841, to Miss Cordelia Marshall; secondly, in 1858, to Lady Affleck, a sister of Robert Leslie Ellis. After his marriage with Lady Affleck, much of that ruggedness of manner which made him repellent to some passed away, and he became popular in that University where he had always been respected and admired. Lady Affleck died in 1865, deeply regretted by all who knew her. Whewell met with the accident that led to his death on February 24, and died on March 6, 1866.
His works are so numerous that it is almost impossible to collect a correct list of all of them. The principal of them are included in the annexed list, but this is, doubtless, far from complete. It would, however, be wrong to close this short notice of his life without specially mentioning his Bridgewater Treatise, one of the most popular books of modern times; his Plurality of Worlds, which perhaps, after all, however only proves how much may be said on a subject about which we know nothing; and his Metaphysical Introductions to the Encyclopedias. It may be mentioned, as a proof of the high position he had won in different branches of knowledge, that he was a correspondent of the French Academy, not in a mathematical section, but in a metaphysical section (Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques, Section Philosophie). The extent of his knowledge was indeed wonderful, and generally accurate. Ancient History, Mediæval History, Botany, Geology, Mineralogy all seemed to be alike to him. His Architectural Notes on the German Churches, and Notes written during an Architectural Tour in Picardy and Normandy, is still a standard book on ecclesiastical architecture.
The very universality of his knowledge has perhaps induced some to doubt his soundness; but this opinion, we believe, will not be justified by an examination of his works. He may not have been the first man of his age in any one branch of science, but he was in the foremost rank of many; and all he wrote is stamped with the logical clearness and precision of his own mind.
Whewell's works:-
An Elementary Treatise on Mechanics. Cambridge, 1819.
A Treatise on Dynamics. Cambridge, 1823.
An Introduction to Dynamics. Cambridge, 1832.
On the Free Motion of Points and on Universal Gravitation. Cambridge, 1832.
Analytical Statics. Cambridge, 1833.
An Elementary Treatise on Mechanics. Cambridge, 1833.
Bridgewater Treatise on Astronomy and General Physics. London, 1833.
Architectural Notes on German Churches &c. London, 1833.
Mechanical Euclid. Cambridge, 1837.
History of the Inductive Sciences, 3 vols. London, 1837-38.
Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences, 2 vols. London, 1840. Expanded into History of Scientific Ideas.
The Doctrine of Limits, with the Application &c. Cambridge, 1841.
The Mechanics of Engineering, &c. London, 1841.
Conic Sections, &c. London, 1849.
On the Philosophy of Discovery. London, 1860.
Novum Organum Renovatum.
The Elements of Morality, including Polity, 2 vols.
Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy in England.
Lectures on Systematic Morality.
Indications of the Creator. (In answer to the "Vestiges of Creation.")
Translations:-
Göthe's Herman and Dorothea.
Auerbach's Professor's Wife.
Grotius' Rights of War and Peace.
Platonic Dialogues for English Readers, 3 vols.
Anonymously:
On the Plurality of Worlds.
In the Philosophical Transactions:-
A General Method of Calculating the Angles made by any Planes of Crystals, &c. 1825.
Researches on the Tides, series i. to xiv. 1833-50.
In the Transactions of the Cambridge Society:-
On the Position of the Apsides of Orbits of great excentricity. 1821.
On Double Crystals of Fluor Spar. 1822.
On the Rotatory Motion of Bodies. 1827.
On the Angles made by Two Planes or Two Straight Lines, referred to Three Oblique Coordinates. 1827.
On the Classification of Crystalline combinations, and the Causes by which their laws of derivation may be investigated. 1828.
Reasons for the Selection of a Notation to designate the Planes of Crystals. 1828.
Mathematical Exposition of the Doctrines of Political Economy. 1829.
On Ricardo's Principles of Political Economy. 1833.
On the Nature of the Truth of the Laws of Motion. 1834.
On the Results of Observations made with a new Anemometer. 1837-
Demonstration that all Matter is heavy. 1840.
Are Cause and Effect Successive or Simultaneous? 1842.
On the Intrinsic Equation of a Curve, and its Application. -1849.
On the Fundamental Antithesis of Philosophy. 1849. Mathematical Exposition of some Doctrines of Political
Economy. 1851.
Of the Transformation of Hypotheses in the History of Science. 1851.
On Plato's Survey of the Sciences. 1856.
On Plato's Notion of Dialectic. 1856.
Of the Intellectual Powers according to Plato. 1856.
On the Platonic Theory of Ideas. 1858.
Besides the above, there are numerous important papers scattered through the Reports of the British Association and other scientific publications.
He was ordained soon after taking his M.A. degree. He became Tutor in 1823, and continued to discharge all the duties of the office alone till 1833, when he associated with himself Mr. Perry, the present Bishop of Melbourne. He remained tutor till 1839. During all this time he took a most active share in College and University business; serving with the greatest readiness on syndicates and committees.
In 1821 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, which in 1837 accorded to him a Royal Medal for his investigations on the subject of the Tides.
His researches on the Tides undoubtedly constituted his principal direct contribution to the advancement of Science. He contributed no less than fourteen papers, and one supplementary paper, on this subject to the Royal Society. These papers will be found scattered through the Philosophical Transactions from 1833 to 1850. They are all of a similar character. Whewell attempted, from a discussion of Tidal Observations, to deduce empirically the laws of the tides at particular ports, and to trace any connexions which might exist between the constants which he thus obtained. He compared his results with Bernoulli's theory, and clearly pointed out those points which the theory could offer some explanation of, and those points which it could not touch. His great merit, in these researches, appears to have been the large and comprehensive views he took of the subject, and the energy with which he obtained the aid of and organised a body of observers for the contemporaneous observation of tidal phenomena all over the world.
It may be mentioned, to show that Whewell had a taste for practical science, although his path through life did not lead him in this direction, that he volunteered to and did assist the present Astronomer Royal in the pendulum experiments for the determination of the mean density of the Earth, made in a mine at Dolcoath, in Cornwall, in 1826 and 1828. These experiments both terminated in an unsatisfactory manner; the observers in 1826 had their instruments injured through a fire, and in 1828 the water broke into the mine, and thus put a stop to their operations.
In 1828, Whewell was made Professor of Mineralogy in the University of Cambridge. To prepare himself for this chair he went to Germany, and studied for some time under Professor Mohs. He also availed himself of his friendship with Professor Sedgwick to accompany him on his geological expeditions. In 1832 Whewell resigned this chair, and was succeeded by Dr. Miller.
He was one of the founders of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, and one of the most active promoters of the British Association.
In 1837 he published his magnum opus, the History of the Inductive Sciences. In the composition of this work he sought and received the most valuable assistance from a number of men eminent in their respective departments. For range of knowledge, for depth and grasp of thought, for lucidity of style, the History has few rivals in modern times. The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences was published in 1841. This work was not so popular as its predecessor.
In 1838 he accepted the Professorship of Moral Philosophy, and henceforth he was to a great extent lost to physical science. In Moral Philosophy he was an ardent advocate for the rejection of Paley's basis of moral obligation, and substitution of that of moral sense; and he succeeded at last in expelling Paley's Moral Philosophy from the University. He wrote a valuable text-book on Moral Philosophy for the use of the University.
In October 1841 he succeeded Dr. Wordsworth in the Mastership of Trinity. And nobly did he uphold the pre-eminence of that College in the University.
He was twice married; first, in 1841, to Miss Cordelia Marshall; secondly, in 1858, to Lady Affleck, a sister of Robert Leslie Ellis. After his marriage with Lady Affleck, much of that ruggedness of manner which made him repellent to some passed away, and he became popular in that University where he had always been respected and admired. Lady Affleck died in 1865, deeply regretted by all who knew her. Whewell met with the accident that led to his death on February 24, and died on March 6, 1866.
His works are so numerous that it is almost impossible to collect a correct list of all of them. The principal of them are included in the annexed list, but this is, doubtless, far from complete. It would, however, be wrong to close this short notice of his life without specially mentioning his Bridgewater Treatise, one of the most popular books of modern times; his Plurality of Worlds, which perhaps, after all, however only proves how much may be said on a subject about which we know nothing; and his Metaphysical Introductions to the Encyclopedias. It may be mentioned, as a proof of the high position he had won in different branches of knowledge, that he was a correspondent of the French Academy, not in a mathematical section, but in a metaphysical section (Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques, Section Philosophie). The extent of his knowledge was indeed wonderful, and generally accurate. Ancient History, Mediæval History, Botany, Geology, Mineralogy all seemed to be alike to him. His Architectural Notes on the German Churches, and Notes written during an Architectural Tour in Picardy and Normandy, is still a standard book on ecclesiastical architecture.
The very universality of his knowledge has perhaps induced some to doubt his soundness; but this opinion, we believe, will not be justified by an examination of his works. He may not have been the first man of his age in any one branch of science, but he was in the foremost rank of many; and all he wrote is stamped with the logical clearness and precision of his own mind.
Whewell's works:-
An Elementary Treatise on Mechanics. Cambridge, 1819.
A Treatise on Dynamics. Cambridge, 1823.
An Introduction to Dynamics. Cambridge, 1832.
On the Free Motion of Points and on Universal Gravitation. Cambridge, 1832.
Analytical Statics. Cambridge, 1833.
An Elementary Treatise on Mechanics. Cambridge, 1833.
Bridgewater Treatise on Astronomy and General Physics. London, 1833.
Architectural Notes on German Churches &c. London, 1833.
Mechanical Euclid. Cambridge, 1837.
History of the Inductive Sciences, 3 vols. London, 1837-38.
Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences, 2 vols. London, 1840. Expanded into History of Scientific Ideas.
The Doctrine of Limits, with the Application &c. Cambridge, 1841.
The Mechanics of Engineering, &c. London, 1841.
Conic Sections, &c. London, 1849.
On the Philosophy of Discovery. London, 1860.
Novum Organum Renovatum.
The Elements of Morality, including Polity, 2 vols.
Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy in England.
Lectures on Systematic Morality.
Indications of the Creator. (In answer to the "Vestiges of Creation.")
Translations:-
Göthe's Herman and Dorothea.
Auerbach's Professor's Wife.
Grotius' Rights of War and Peace.
Platonic Dialogues for English Readers, 3 vols.
Anonymously:
On the Plurality of Worlds.
In the Philosophical Transactions:-
A General Method of Calculating the Angles made by any Planes of Crystals, &c. 1825.
Researches on the Tides, series i. to xiv. 1833-50.
In the Transactions of the Cambridge Society:-
On the Position of the Apsides of Orbits of great excentricity. 1821.
On Double Crystals of Fluor Spar. 1822.
On the Rotatory Motion of Bodies. 1827.
On the Angles made by Two Planes or Two Straight Lines, referred to Three Oblique Coordinates. 1827.
On the Classification of Crystalline combinations, and the Causes by which their laws of derivation may be investigated. 1828.
Reasons for the Selection of a Notation to designate the Planes of Crystals. 1828.
Mathematical Exposition of the Doctrines of Political Economy. 1829.
On Ricardo's Principles of Political Economy. 1833.
On the Nature of the Truth of the Laws of Motion. 1834.
On the Results of Observations made with a new Anemometer. 1837-
Demonstration that all Matter is heavy. 1840.
Are Cause and Effect Successive or Simultaneous? 1842.
On the Intrinsic Equation of a Curve, and its Application. -1849.
On the Fundamental Antithesis of Philosophy. 1849. Mathematical Exposition of some Doctrines of Political
Economy. 1851.
Of the Transformation of Hypotheses in the History of Science. 1851.
On Plato's Survey of the Sciences. 1856.
On Plato's Notion of Dialectic. 1856.
Of the Intellectual Powers according to Plato. 1856.
On the Platonic Theory of Ideas. 1858.
Besides the above, there are numerous important papers scattered through the Reports of the British Association and other scientific publications.
William Whewell's obituary appeared in Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society 27:4 (1867), 110-115.