Joseph Priestley as an historian of science : with some account of his philosophical apparatus existing at the present time / C.A. Browne.

  • Browne, Charles Albert, 1870-1947.
Date:
[1927]
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Joseph Priestley as an historian of science : with some account of his philosophical apparatus existing at the present time / C.A. Browne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    writing other works upon the history of the sciences, although he had purchased a great number of books for this purpose. While this abandon¬ ment of his original plan was a great loss to the history of science, his preliminary studies in this field were the cause of his applying himself henceforth wholly to original research and the brilliancy of his accomplish¬ ments as an experimenter causes no one to regret that circumstances obliged him to make the change. Priestley expressed clearer and more definite ideas upon the importance of studying science from the historic viewpoint than any previous writer. In many ways he may be regarded as the founder of this department of knowledge and some of the views which he expressed upon the subject deserve to be quoted. Let histories be written (observes Priestley) of all that has been done in every particular branch of science and let the whole be seen at one view. And when once the entire progress, and present state of every science shall be fully and fairly exhibited, I doubt not but we shall see a new and capital era commence in the history of all the sciences. Such an easy, full, and comprehensive view of what has been done hitherto could not fail to give new life to philosophical inquiries. It would suggest an infinity of new experiments, and would undoubtedly greatly accelerate the progress of knowledge; which is at present retarded, as it were, by its own weight, and the mutual entanglement of its several parts.1 These histories are evidently much more necessary in an advanced state of science, than in the infancy of it. At present philosophical discoveries are so many and the ac¬ counts of them are so dispersed, that it is not in the power of any man to come at the knowledge of all that has been done, as a foundation for his own inquiries. And this circumstance appears to me to have very much retarded the progress of discoveries.2 To whatever height we have arrived in natural science, our beginnings were very low, and our advances have been exceeding gradual. And to look down from the emi¬ nence, and to see, and compare all those gradual advances in the ascent, cannot but give the greatest pleasure to those who are seated on the eminence, and who feel all the ad¬ vantages of their elevated situation. And considering that we ourselves are, by no means, at the top of human science; that the mountain still ascends beyond our sight, and that we are, in fact, not much above the foot of it, a view of the manner in which the ascent has been made cannot but animate us in our attempts to advance still higher, and suggest methods and expedients to assist us in our further progress.3 The history of experimental philosophy, in the manner in which it ought to be written, to be of much use, would be an immense work; perhaps more than any one man ought to undertake; but it were much to be wished, that persons who have leisure, and sufficient abilities, would undertake it in separate parts.4 1 “Preface, History and Present State of Electricity,” London, 1767, p. XV. 2 “Preface, History and Present State of Electricity,” London, 1767, p. VI. 3 “Preface, History and Present State of Electricity,” London, 1767, p. V. 4 “Preface, History and Present State of Electricity,” London, 1767, p. VII.