From Summetria to Symmetry: The Making of a Revolutionary Scientific Concept
Authors: Hon, Giora, Goldstein, Bernard R.
Free Preview- Symmetry is a key concept in modern science
- Its history has been distorted for various reasons
- A critical account of the history of the concept sheds light on the dynamics of scientific change and the role of concepts in theory formation
- The transition from the aesthetic concept of symmetry to its scientific usage is analyzed for the first time
- Legendre’s pivotal role has not been noted at all in the secondary literature
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- About this book
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The concept of symmetry is inherent to modern science, and its evolution has a complex history that richly exemplifies the dynamics of scientific change. This study is based on primary sources, presented in context: the authors examine closely the trajectory of the concept in the mathematical and scientific disciplines as well as its trajectory in art and architecture. The principal goal is to demonstrate that, despite the variety of usages in many different domains, there is a conceptual unity underlying the invocation of symmetry in the period from antiquity to the 1790s which is distinct from the scientific usages of this term that first emerged in France at the end of the 18th century. The key figure in revolutionizing the concept of symmetry is the mathematician, Adrien-Marie Legendre. His achievements in solid geometry (1794) are contrasted with the views of the philosopher, Immanuel Kant, on the directionality of space (1768).
- Reviews
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From the reviews:
“Hon and Goldstein’s book is, primarily, a historical study of the term ‘symmetry’ and the concepts associated with it up to the early 1800s. … a contribution to fruitful discussion between historians and philosophers of science. … For philosophers of science, such historical work is invaluable.” (Katherine Brading, Metascience, Vol. 19, March, 2010)
- Table of contents (9 chapters)
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Introduction
Pages 1-65
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The Mathematical Path
Pages 69-91
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The Aesthetic Path
Pages 93-109
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New Aesthetic Sensibilities in Italian and French Architecture
Pages 111-155
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The Ancient Concept of Symmetry in Scientific Contexts in Early Modern Times and Its Association with Harmony
Pages 157-176
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Table of contents (9 chapters)
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Bibliographic Information
- Bibliographic Information
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- Book Title
- From Summetria to Symmetry: The Making of a Revolutionary Scientific Concept
- Authors
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- Giora Hon
- Bernard R. Goldstein
- Series Title
- Archimedes
- Series Volume
- 20
- Copyright
- 2008
- Publisher
- Springer Netherlands
- Copyright Holder
- Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
- eBook ISBN
- 978-1-4020-8448-5
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-1-4020-8448-5
- Hardcover ISBN
- 978-1-4020-8447-8
- Softcover ISBN
- 978-90-481-7884-1
- Series ISSN
- 1385-0180
- Edition Number
- 1
- Number of Pages
- XVI, 336
- Topics
