Overview
- Presents the first biography of Karl-Friedrich Bonhoeffer
- Offers a bottom-up perspective of the clash of science and ethics under the Third Reich as it played out in the lives of Karl-Friedrich and Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- Appeals to scholars and general readers who are interested in the history of science, quantum mechanics, the history of Nazi Germany, the philosophy of science, ethics, and the Bonhoeffers
Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in the History of Science and Technology (PSHST)
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Table of contents (13 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Keywords
- Karl-Friedrich Bonhoeffer
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- The Bonhoeffer family
- Nazism
- Nazi Germany
- Nazi Atomic bomb research
- quantum mechanics
- Nazi resistance
- the Uranium Club
- Max Planck
- Michael Polanyi
- Paul Rosbaud
- World War II
- Werner Heisenberg
- science and religion
- quantum mechanics
- shell shock
- pure science
- Manhattan Project
- ethics and science
About this book
Reviews
“Not only is this book a missing chapter in the science that then led the world. It is also the dark tale of Nobel laureates caught up in self-delusion, moral complicity and moral tragedy. Yet exceptional moral integrity and steadfastness is present as well in the deeply moving story of the Bonhoeffer family. In short, add The Scientific World of Karl-Friedrich Bonhoeffer to the canon of essential works on science and morality. The lessons are still in front of us.” (Larry Rasmussen, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics, Union Theological Seminary, New York City)
“In a book both informative and lively, Kathleen Housley tells the exciting story of a gentle German physical chemist, Karl-Friedrich Bonhoeffer. The word Entanglement in the subtitle describes well the multitude of ways in which this scientist moved, actively and morally so, in some of the strongest currents of mid-twentieth century Germany. A uniquely committed resistance family in anation of few resisters, a scientist with ties to the physics underlying nuclear fission who avoided work in the German atomic power project, the sad lack of recognition of moral failure by German scientists after the war—these are the strands Housley gathers in her eminently readable story of a good man in terrible times.” (Roald Hoffmann, chemist and writer, Frank H. T. Rhodes Professor of Human Letters, Emeritus, Cornell University)
“This book tells the fascinating story of a German physical chemist nominated five times for the Nobel Prize. As one of the leading German scientists of his era, Karl-Friedrich Bonhoeffer sought to undermine the efforts of his colleagues as they worked to build an atomic bomb for the Nazi regime. As a German citizen navigating the complex challenges of those times, he tried to follow his conscience and assist Jewish colleagues. As a member of the Bonhoeffer family, he watched as his brothers, Dietrich and Klaus, became involved in the plans to overthrow that regime, ultimately sacrificing their lives. Kathleen Housley has woven these threads together into a profound and compelling narrative about a remarkable individual during the terrible years of National Socialism.” (Victoria J. Barnett, General Editor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, English edition, and author of “After Ten Years”: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Our Time)
“This story of the eldest son in the accomplished and principled Bonhoeffer clan is carefully researched and thoughtfully argued. The author does not shrink from drawing unexpected connections, making judgments and offering provocative speculations. The result is an insightful, literary account of the context and conduct of science and Christianity in the politically charged Weimar and Nazi eras.” (Alan Beyerchen, Emeritus Professor of German History and author of Scientists Under Hitler)Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: The Scientific World of Karl-Friedrich Bonhoeffer
Book Subtitle: The Entanglement of Science, Religion, and Politics in Nazi Germany
Authors: Kathleen L. Housley
Series Title: Palgrave Studies in the History of Science and Technology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95801-9
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: History, History (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-95800-2Published: 17 September 2018
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-07096-0Published: 20 December 2018
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-95801-9Published: 05 September 2018
Series ISSN: 2730-972X
Series E-ISSN: 2730-9738
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XX, 328
Number of Illustrations: 18 b/w illustrations
Topics: History of World War II and the Holocaust, History of Science, History of Germany and Central Europe