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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.
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reforming philosophy G reforming philosophy A Victorian Debate on Science and Society laura j. snyder the university of chicago press chicago and london laura j. snyder is associate professor in the Department of Philosophy at St. John’s University. She has published articles on Francis Bacon, J. S. Mill, William Whewell, the debate over the plurality of worlds, the relation between scientific method and detective fiction, and the issue of scientific evidence in the journals Philosophy of Science, Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science, Perspectives on Science, and Endeavour, and in several books, including the textbook Philosophy of Science: The Central Issues. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637 The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London © 2006 by The University of Chicago All rights reserved. Published 2006 Printed in the United States of America 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 isbn: 0-226-76733-7 (cloth) 1 2 3 4 5 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Snyder, Laura J. Reforming philosophy : a Victorian debate on science and society / Laura J. Snyder. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 0-226-76733-7 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Mill, John Stuart, 1806–1873. 2. Whewell, William, 1794–1866. 3. Philosophy, English—19th century. 4. Science—Philosophy—History—19th century. 5. Political science—Philosophy—History—19th century I. Title. b1607.s69 2006 192—dc22 2005035508 o The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ansi z39.48–1992. G f o r g i ova n n i a n d l e o n a r d o G contents Acknowledgments ix Prologue 1 Introduction: “Reforming the Philosophy of the Age” 7 1. Whewell and the Reform of Inductive Philosophy 33 2. Mill’s Radicalization of Induction 95 3. Reforming Science 156 4.