Scientific controversy and the new astronomy: the intellectual and social contexts of the Hevelius-Hooke dispute

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dc.contributor.authorSaridakis, Voulaen
dc.contributor.departmentScience and Technology Studiesen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T21:49:27Zen
dc.date.adate2009-11-10en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T21:49:27Zen
dc.date.issued1993en
dc.date.rdate2009-11-10en
dc.date.sdate2009-11-10en
dc.description.abstractDuring the seventeenth century, science, and especially astronomy, underwent significant changes in which the emphasis on instrumentation shifted from a more qualitative approach to precise quantitative measurement. These changes were further encouraged by the formation of scientific societies, such as the Royal Society in London and the Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris, where members worked together as a collective to validate knowledge. Because members could freely dissent within the community, a prescribed behavior for participants in disputes was proposed, although seldom followed. Furthermore, disputes were not influenced by intellectual issues alone -- social factors also guided and influenced the course of controversies. This study is an analysis of one scientific controversy in which the participants deviated from the prescribed code of behavior in scientific disputes, and, although the controversy was guided primarily by social factors, intellectual factors ultimately determined its outcome. In the Introduction, I discuss two sociological theses (Merton, Shapin and Schaffer) which are relevant to scientific controversies. In Chapter 1, I describe the changing nature of astronomy and instrumentation in the seventeenth century with special emphasis on micrometers and telescopic sights. In Chapter 2, I explore the nature of scientific controversy vis-à-vis the Royal Society, and two particular controversies which did not deviate from the expected rules of behavior. A descriptive account of the Hevelius-Hooke dispute follows in Chapter 3, and in Chapter 4, I provide concluding remarks on the dispute. Finally, in the Conclusion, I discuss the intellectual and social contexts of the Hevelius-Hooke dispute.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.extentviii, 142 leavesen
dc.format.mediumBTDen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.otheretd-11102009-020225en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-11102009-020225/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/45615en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartLD5655.V855_1993.S275.pdfen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 28513834en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V855 1993.S275en
dc.subject.lcshAstronomical instrumentsen
dc.subject.lcshAstronomyen
dc.titleScientific controversy and the new astronomy: the intellectual and social contexts of the Hevelius-Hooke disputeen
dc.typeThesisen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineScience and Technology Studiesen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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