William Whewell and Cambridge Mathematics

Abstract

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The Inconsistent Youth of Charles Babbage

“…25 They were ''a means to train the mind,'' rather than a way to train mathematicians and scientists. 26 As an exam moderator, Woodhouse also would have known that a young scholar would need to succeed on the Tripos if he wanted to win a fellowship at one of the colleges. In such an environment, analytic mathematics only had the ''potential to distract from the examinations.''…”

Radicals, Whigs and conservatives: the middle and lower classes in the analytical revolution at Cambridge in the age of aristocracy

“…When the Vice Chancellor and the Heads ordered the exclusion of undergraduates from the Senate House, Peacock and other MAs went into 'open rebellion' by agreeing to vote against all measures in the Senate until the order was rescinded. 78 To a great extent, Whewell fulfilled the programme of Daniel Peacock rather than that of Babbage and Herschel, as revealed in a letter by Herschel to Whewell in 1819 concerning the Elementary Treatise: The outcome was that 'Doctors and Heads assembled in such numbers...that they overcame ... [Peacock's group]'.…”

“…It is now a good deal of the air of a stepping stone to some finished and Systematic Elementary work, as if you intended it only to serve a temporary purpose, in the transition of Cambridge reading, instead of making it a standard work to be a lecture book of the University for the next half century after they have thrown off their Chrysalis. 81 But then Whewell early on found a home at Cambridge. ], however, it is infinitely superior to anything they have, &C must infallibly do much good.…”

“…At all [? 83 Peacock also remained at Cambridge, becoming Lowndean Professor in 1837 and Dean of Ely in 1839 as the appointee of a Whig government. 70 Herschel did not misinterpret Whewell.…”

Essay Review: The Judge and Purifier of All, William Whewell: Philosopher of Science, William Whewell: A Composite Portrait

“…For example he discusses the text books in mechanics from a perspective different from that of Harvey Becher's valuable study of Whewell's changing views about mathematical analysis and their impact on Cambridge mathematics. 10 In two other contributions to the Portrait which cover Whewell's philosophy there is a traditional concern with the legacy of Whewell's philosophy of science. Gerd Buchdahl, an expert on Kant, offers a much enlarged version of a paper published twenty years ago about deductivist versus inductivist approaches in the philosophy of science as illustrated by some controversies between Whewell and Mill."…”