Yorkshire Philosophical Society

Event Information

Philosophy, Science and Art in the Nineteenth Century: Critical Moments in the History of Western Thought

A lecture by Dr John R Gibbins, Wolfson College, Cambridge; retired Director of Postgraduate Research, University of Newcastle upon Tyne

Knowledge, it is argued, is a human product: it has to be designed, constructed, produced and reproduced to become effective

and consumed. It requires more than odd genius to achieve these activities and effects – it requires a propitious context and a philosophical catalyst or controversy.

Within Western culture Science has emerged from wider intellectual and philosophical explorations of the world.  This can be illustrated in the birth of Modern Science in the nineteenth century and especially the Cambridge Network e.g. Whewell, Herschel, Babbage and Clark Maxwell.

Dr Gibbins will argue that what explains success in most sciences is a crucial economy of scale, a succession of disciples and an ongoing knowledge network.  He will use this analysis to explain the continuing success of Cambridge University, the success of Vienna; the Manhattan Project; CERN in the 20^th century and Germany in the late 19^th century.

The lecture will be illustrated with portraits, landscapes, architecture, laboratories and equipment images.

Report

Dr. Gibbins set out to explain how science emerged within Western Culture. Identifying three key periods in the history of ideas –  Greek philosophy, the 16-17th century renaissance, and the birth of, specifically, Cambridge Science in the early 19th century, he went on to discuss this latter in some detail.

He exuberantly explained the importance of knowledge networks, and the economy of scale which comes when significant numbers of individual thinkers are able to communicate effectively. This situation was facilitated in nineteenth century Cambridge by William Whewell, who paid off old fellows and introduced fellowship exams to bring in new blood. Members of the network which developed included Robert Herschel, Charles Babbage, James Clerk Maxwell and William Buckland. They helped to lay the foundations for the continuing success of Trinity College, and the power of the whole University, which is captured and communicated in impressive architecture, equipment and portraits. The lively discussion which followed offered some insightful alternative views.

Margaret Leonard