Practical Matter: Newton's Science in the Service of Industry and Empire, 1687-1851 (New Histories of Science, Technology, and Medicine)

216 Pages·2006·0.75 MB·english

by  Margaret C. Jacob

NEW HISTORIES OF
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND MEDICINE
SeriesEditors
MargaretC.Jacob
SpencerR.Weart
HaroldJ.Cook

PRACTICAL MATTER
Newton’s Science in the Service
of Industry and Empire, 1687–1851
Margaret C. Jacob and Larry Stewart
HarvardUniversityPress
Cambridge,Massachusetts
London,England
2004
Copyright©2004byMargaretC.JacobandLarryStewart
Allrightsreserved
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Jacob,MargaretC.,1943–
Practicalmatter:Newton’sscienceintheserviceofindustry
andempire,1687–1851/
MargaretC.JacobandLarryStewart.
p.cm.—(Newhistoriesofscience,technology,andmedicine)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0-674-01497-9(alk.paper)
1.Newton,Isaac,Sir,1642–1727.
2.Science—Philosophy—History—17thcentury.
3.Science—Philosophy—History—18thcentury.
4.Science—Philosophy—History—19thcentury.
5.Science—History—17thcentury.
6.Science—History—18thcentury.
7.Science—History—19thcentury.
I.Stewart,Larry,1946– II.Title. III.Series.
Q174.8.J332004
501 2004052293
ThisbookisdedicatedtoTrevorLevere,
forhisinspirationandhiskindness

Contents
Introduction 1
1 TheNewtonianRevolution 9
2 TheWesternParadigmDecisivelyShifts 26
3 PopularAudiencesandPublicExperiments 61
4 PracticalityandtheRadicalismofExperiment 93
5 PuttingSciencetoWork:EuropeanStrategies 119
0 Epilogue 155
Notes 161
Acknowledgments 191
Index 193

PRACTICAL MATTER