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Revitalising a nineteenth century debate about life (which has been done to death): or, how to live with historiographical pluralism

Abstract:

This chapter shows how work in philosophy of science (PS) on pluralism and perspectivism can enhance history of science (HS). It provides a case-study from HS: a debate over the nature of life which took place at London’s Royal College of Surgeons in the early nineteenth century. According to John Abernethy, what distinguished living from non-living matter was that, in the tradition of eighteenth-century ‘Newtonian’ ether-theories, the living was pervaded and animated by a subtle, immaterial,...

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Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.4324/9781351214827

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
HUMS
Department:
History Faculty
Oxford college:
Linacre College
Role:
Author

Contributors

Role:
Editor
Role:
Editor
Role:
Editor
Role:
Editor
Publisher:
Routledge Publisher's website
Host title:
The Past, Present, and Future of Integrated History and Philosophy of Science
Chapter number:
11
Pages:
210-227
Place of publication:
London
Publication date:
2019-05-31
DOI:
EISBN:
9781351214827
Language:
English
Keywords:
Subtype:
Chapter
Pubs id:
1205628
Local pid:
pubs:1205628
Deposit date:
2021-10-22

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