Overview
This book is the first to place revolutionary advances in light and optics in the cultural context of France in the first half of the nineteenth century. The narrative follows the work and careers of France's two chief rivals on the subject of light: Arago and Biot. Their disagreement began on the subject of technical optics, but expanded to include politics, religion, agricultural policy, education, dinner companions, housing arrangements, photography, railroads, vital forces, astrology, the Egyptian calendar, and colonial slavery. At the heart of their disagreement was always a question of visibility, and the extent of transparency or obscurity they assigned to the world. Optical transparency formed a crucial condition for Arago's vision of a liberal republic governed by reason. Biot's call for strong forms of authority rested on his claims that the world did not offer itself up for universal agreement so easily.
Full Product Details
Author: Theresa Levitt (Department of the History, University of Mississippi)
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 16.20cm
, Height: 1.50cm
, Length: 24.00cm
Weight: 0.487kg
ISBN: 9780199544707
ISBN 10: 0199544700
Pages: 202
Publication Date: 08 January 2009
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: To order
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.
Reviews
`Fascinating material that deserves to be much better known outside the specialist community of historians of science.' Malcolm Longair, University of Cambridge
Like its subject matter, this fascinating book makes a mockery of the 'two cultures' debate, and should appeal to anyone with an interest in the history of science and the origins of the way we see our world. Physics World
The strange and amazingly broad complementarity between Arago and Biot comes out very well in The Shadow of Enlightenment, which I recommend to all readers interested in nineteenth century France. Klaus Hentschel, Book Reviews - ISIS Like its subject matter, this fascinating book makes a mockery of the 'two cultures' debate, and should appeal to anyone with an interest in the history of science and the origins of the way we see our world. Physics World
`Fascinating material that deserves to be much better known outside the specialist community of historians of science.' Malcolm Longair, University of Cambridge
Author Information
Dr Theresa Levitt Assistant Professor of History University of Mississippi I received a B.S. in physics from M.I.T in 1993, an M.A. in history from Iowa State University in 1996, and then entered the History of Science program at Harvard. My work there was supported by a Fulbright Fellowship, a GSC research grant, the Javier Arango Award in the History of Science, a Frederick Sheldon Traveling Fellowship, and an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. I spent 6 months in a pre-doctoral research position at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science before completing my degree in 2002 and beginning my current position as Assistant Professor in the History Department at the University of Mississippi.
