An Introduction to the History of ScienceLibby, Walter
History
An Introduction to the History of Science
Libby, Walter
Science -- History
Bacon, stimulated by what he called _philanthropia_, always aimed, as we
have seen, to establish man's control over nature. But all power of a
high order depends on an understanding of the essential character, or
law, of heat, light, sound, gravity, and the like. Nothing short of a
knowledge of the underlying nature of phenomena can give science
advantage over chance in hitting upon useful discoveries and inventions.
It is, therefore, natural to find him applying his method of
induction--his special method of true induction--to the investigation of
heat.
In the first place, let there be mustered, without premature
speculation, all the instances in which heat is manifested--flame,
lightning, sun's rays, quicklime sprinkled with water, damp hay, animal
heat, hot liquids, bodies subjected to friction. Add to these, instances
in which heat seems to be absent, as moon's rays, sun's rays on
mountains, oblique rays in the polar circle. Try the experiment of
concentrating on a thermoscope, by means of a burning-glass, the moon's
rays. Try with the burning-glass to concentrate heat from hot iron, from
common flame, from boiling water. Try a concave glass with the sun's
rays to see whether a diminution of heat results. Then make record of
other instances, in which heat is found in varying degrees. For example,
an anvil grows hot under the hammer. A thin plate of metal under
continuous blows might grow red like ignited iron. Let this be tried as
an experiment.
After the presentation of these instances induction itself must be set
to work to find out what factor is ever present in the positive
instances, what factor is ever wanting in the negative instances, what
factor always varies in the instances which show variation. According to
Bacon it is in the process of exclusion that the foundations of true
induction are laid. We can be certain, for example, that the essential
nature of heat does not consist in light and brightness, since it is
present in boiling water and absent in the moon's rays.
The induction, however, is not complete till something positive is
established. At this point in the investigation it is permissible to
venture an hypothesis in reference to the essential character of heat.
From a survey of the instances, all and each, it appears that the nature
of which heat is a particular case is motion. This is suggested by
flame, simmering liquids, the excitement of heat by motion, the
extinction of fire by compression, etc. Motion is the genus of which
heat is the species. Heat itself, its essence, is motion and nothing
else.
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