Trevor H. Levere
Ashgate Variorum
Hardback
320
1994
In the 18th century chemistry established itself as both an autonomous and a public science moving from mining and medicine into agriculture and geology indeed into the entire material and cultural fabric of society. This chemical revolution had its epicentre in France but quickly spread. The present volume looks at theoretical and practical aspects of that revolution in France and The Netherlands then turns to Britain where Thomas Beddoes mixed French chemistry medicine and democratic politics. With the 19th century Humphrey Davy emerging from Beddoes?s Pneumatic Institution (from which he rapidly distanced himself) took public chemistry dramatically to London. The following articles show how his friend Coleridge incorporated the science into a romantic philosophy of nature and Faraday extended Davy?s work in electrochemistry matter theory and a theology of nature even Hegel?s philosophy of geology based itself on chemistry. The final section explores debates about chemical affinity qualities and arrangement.
Ashgate Variorum
Hardback
320
1994
In the 18th century chemistry established itself as both an autonomous and a public science moving from mining and medicine into agriculture and geology indeed into the entire material and cultural fabric of society. This chemical revolution had its epicentre in France but quickly spread. The present volume looks at theoretical and practical aspects of that revolution in France and The Netherlands then turns to Britain where Thomas Beddoes mixed French chemistry medicine and democratic politics. With the 19th century Humphrey Davy emerging from Beddoes?s Pneumatic Institution (from which he rapidly distanced himself) took public chemistry dramatically to London. The following articles show how his friend Coleridge incorporated the science into a romantic philosophy of nature and Faraday extended Davy?s work in electrochemistry matter theory and a theology of nature even Hegel?s philosophy of geology based itself on chemistry. The final section explores debates about chemical affinity qualities and arrangement.