Corpuscular Optics and the Wave Theory of Light
The Science and Politics of a Revolution in Physics
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11923964 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Eugene Frankel (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1976 |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 141-184 |
| Publication date | 1976-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Studies of Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0306-3127 • E-ISSN: 1460-3659 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/030631277600600201 |
| OpenAlex | W2128050387 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 17 |
| References cited | 2 |
The adoption of the Iwave theory of light over the corpuscular system in the early nineteenth century was a turning point in the history of modern physics. It drastically altered the field of optics and posed the first serious difficulty in the action-at-a-distance world view that had dominated European physical science from the time of Newton. From the standpoint of Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions, the transition to waves seems to qualify as a 'scientific revolution', perhaps the first in post-Newtonian physics.1 The purpose of this paper is to look at that scientific revolution from a particular point of view, focusing on a side of the story which has received little attention: the activities of the corpuscular school in France in the era immediately preceding and contemporary to Fresnel's articulation of the wave theory.2 This study will suggest two important revisions in our understanding of the wave revolution: First, it will argue that the decade preceding Fresnel was not one of confusion or difficulty for the corpuscular school but rather one of expansion and success. The work of Laplace, Biot, Malus and Arago in the first decade of the nineteenth century led to a revival of interest in optics in France, and, in the context of Laplace's Newtonianism, a renewed commitment to the 'emission theory' as well. That theory was called upon to explain a host of newly-discovered phenomena related to double refraction and polarization, and, by and large, it was successful. By 1815 a modified and sophisticated version of the emission system was an essential part of French physical orthodoxy
Epistemology · Physics · Political science · Politics · Theoretical physics · Historical and Literary Studies · History of Science and Medicine · History of Science and Natural History · Philosophy
Método Analítico en Los Estudios Superiores
The Strengths of the Strong Programme
Óptica dos corpos em movimento de Fresnel sob a visão do realismo estrutural
Akaike and the No Miracle Argument for Scientific Realism
Polyhedra and the Abominations of Leviticus
Introduction
Why "the social aspects of science and technology" is not just an optional extra
Parallels and Paradoxes in Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism
The Influence of Astronomy on the Character of Physics in Mid-Nineteenth Century France
Quantitative Measures of Communication in Science
Marginality and Innovation in Science
Professional Specialization, Perceived Anomalies, and Rival Cosmologies
Ampère, the Etherians, and the Oersted Connexion
Poisson's Memoirs on Electricity
The physical interpretation of the wave theory of light
History of Science and its Sociological Reconstructions
Thomas Young's Musical Optics
| Unique citing works | 17 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,35 |
| Citation span | 1978 - 2023 (46) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 16 |