The Hessen-Grossman Thesis
An Attempt at Rehabilitation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9395181 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Gideon Freudenthal (Tel Aviv University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2005 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 166-193 |
| Publication date | 2005-06-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Perspectives on Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1063-6145 • E-ISSN: 1530-9274 |
| Publisher | The MIT Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1162/106361405774270575 |
| OpenAlex | W2153270921 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 10 |
| References cited | 10 |
The work of Boris Hessen and Henryk Grossman on the emergence of early modern science is an attempt at a historical sociology of science and a historical epistemology of scientific knowledge. One of their theses is elaborated here, namely that early modern mechanics developed in the study of contemporary technology. In particular I discuss the thesis that the replacement of the Aristotelian concept of motion by the modern general and mathematical concept developed in the study of transmission machines. In addition to a discussion of the thesis and its implications, I also present a case study to substantiate the thesis. I show that Benedetti's famous refutation of Aristotle and his introduction of a new concept of motion depended on empirical knowledge of the newly invented treadle mechanism. I argue that although the historiography of science since the 1930s has explored many of the individual issues first raised by the Marxist historians of science, this perspective remains unique in that it establishes direct and informative connections between the grand narrative of the transition from agrarian-feudal society to industrial production in early capitalism and the development of science and technology down to specific cognitive issues such as shared assumptions concerning the natural order
Epistemology · Feudalism · Historiography · Marxist philosophy · Narrative · Political science · Politics · Social science · Sociology · Sociology of scientific knowledge · Historical and Literary Studies · History of Science and Medicine · Law · Philosophy · Philosophy and History of Science
The Scientific Revolution Revisited
Boris Hessen (1893‒1936), „Społeczne i ekonomiczne korzenie Principiów Newtona” i paradoksalna historia historiografii nauki
‘On the Side of the Bourgeoisie’
Epilogue
Truth(s)
Institutionalisation of Science
Individuals and collectives in the philosophy of Boris Hessen
The Materialist Dialectic in Boris Hessen’s Newton Papers (1927 and 1931)
Gift versus Trade
Lilley revisited
| Citations per year | 0.59 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2009 - 2026 (18) |
| Highly cited | No |