Instrumental Traditions and Theories of Light

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxiii

   PDF

2. Comparisons of Explanatory Power

   • Xiang Chen

   Pages 1-12

3. Explanatory Power and Classification

   • Xiang Chen

   Pages 13-26

4. Classification and the Use of Instruments

   • Xiang Chen

   Pages 27-46

5. The Dispute over Dispersion

   • Xiang Chen

   Pages 47-67

6. The Discovery of the “Polarity of Light”

   • Xiang Chen

   Pages 69-86

7. The Measurements of the Intensity of Light

   • Xiang Chen

   Pages 87-107

8. Instrumental Traditions

   • Xiang Chen

   Pages 109-128

9. The Geometric Tradition and the Wave Theory of Light

   • Xiang Chen

   Pages 129-146

10. The Visual Tradition and the Closure of the Optical Revolution

    • Xiang Chen

    Pages 147-166

11. Back Matter

    Pages 167-212

    PDF

An analysis of the optical revolution in the context of early 19th century Britain. Far from merely involving the replacement of one optical theory by another, the revolution also involved substantial changes in instruments and the practices that surrounded them. People's judgements about classification, explanation and evaluation were affected by the way they used such optical instruments as spectroscopes, telescopes, polarisers, photometers, gratings, prisms and apertures. There were two instrumental traditions in this historical period, each of which nurtured a body of practice that exemplified how optical instruments should be operated, and especially how the eye should be used. These traditions functioned just like paradigms, shaping perspectives and even world views.
Readership: Scholars and graduate students in the history of science, history of instrument, philosophy of science and science studies. Can also be used as a textbook in graduate courses on 19th century physics.

• 19th century
• Prism
• optical instruments
• optical revolution
• optical theory
• philosophy of science
• science
• theory of light

• California Lutheran University, USA

  Xiang Chen

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