The Distortion of Werner in Lyell's Principles of Geology
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8394148 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Alexander M Ospovat (Oklahoma State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1976 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 190-198 |
| Publication date | 1976-07-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The British Journal for the History of Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-0874 • E-ISSN: 1474-001X |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0007087400014771 |
| OpenAlex | W2113520901 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 6 |
Lyell's performance as a historian was both fruitful and remarkable. He wrote well; his style was lucid; and he wrote with conviction and authority. In his history of geology we find none of the usual historians’ dodges. No ‘one of the first’, no ‘probablies’, no ‘it would seem that way’. Lyell did not have to resort to such ruses, because he wrote about the truth—the truth, that is, as he saw it. Most of his statements of fact are not incorrect. But in selecting his facts, he left out anything that did not suit his purpose. Other historians of the geological sciences have pointed out the polemical nature of Lyell's history in general. My investigation is limited to a single chapter of his history, Chapter IV of the Principles , and to his treatment of Werner
Archaeology · Conviction · Political science · Style (visual arts · Alexander von Humboldt Studies · Classics · History · History of Science and Natural History · Law · Philosophy · Planetary Science and Exploration
| Highly cited | No |
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