The Invisible World: Early Modern Philosophy and the Invention of the Microscope

(Paperback)

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Description

Focusing on the earliest forays into microscopical research, from 1620 to 1720, this book provides technological history of the knowledge that helped launch philosophy into the modern era. It argues that the discovery of microworld presented metaphysicians with the task of reconciling the ubiquity of life with human-centered theological systems.

Reviews

Winner of the 1996 Award for Best Professional/Scholarly Book in Biological Science, Association of American Publishers "A very stimulating discussion of the interplay between scientific theory and scientific instrumentation, in the context of an instrument with which most feel familiar... Fully documented and intensively argued."--Brian Bracegirdle, New Scientist "Wilson shows that microscopic observations reinforced the contemporary idea of the 'living machine'--that is, a reductionist view of nature. And therein lies the ultimate paradox of our machine-driven science: the essence of our natural world remains hidden despite our increasingly sophisticated scientific technology."--Willem Hackmann, Nature "The Invisible World is a welcome step toward a renewed appreciation of classical light microscopy."--Nicolas Rasmussen, Contemporary Sociology "This is an important work. It breaks new ground, and it forces us to reassess some of our most cherished assumptions about the scientific revolution."--Joseph C. Pitt, Journal of the History of Biology "Wilson's book is a delightful work of immense scholarship."--Steven Shapin, American Historical Review

Author Bio

Catherine Wilson is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Alberta, and the author of Leibniz's Metaphysics (Princeton).