Boyle in the Eyes of Posterity
Boyle was a most realistic teacher. No scientist in history, not even Newton or Einstein, gained so much respect during his lifetime as the modest Boyle. His authority was unquestioned; as one who aroused enthusiasm, he exceeded Newton, Einstein and Bohr.
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Boyle in the Eyes of Posterity
13.1 The Eighteenth Century Boyle was a most realistic teacher. No scientist in history, not even Newton or Einstein, gained so much respect during his lifetime as the modest Boyle. His authority was unquestioned; as one who aroused enthusiasm, he exceeded Newton, Einstein and Bohr. It is characteristic of him that under doctor’s orders, and in order to be able to publish his works regularly, he put a board in the front of his house stating which morning and afternoon in the week he did not receive visitors (Works, 2000, 14, 363; Maddison, 9, 1951, 1–35 and 11, 1954, 38–53). Praises and tributes paid to him by contemporaries, even if greatly exaggerated, are most remarkable. His works were republished for about a century. A Latin edition and an epitomized English edition of his works appeared soon after his death and two English editions of his works followed two English and two Latin editions of his philosophical works in the eighteenth century.1 Dr. Johnson remarked (The Rambler, 106, 23 March 1751), … The authors of new discoveries may surely expect to be reckoned among those whose writings are secured of veneration: yet it often happens that the general reception of a doctrine obscures the book in which it is delivered. … we seldom look back to the arguments upon which it was first established … It is well known how much of our philosophy is derived from Boyle’s discovery of the qualities of the air; yet … very few have read the detail of his experiments. His name is, indeed, reverenced; but his works are neglected…
How serious this comment is I do not know, since the complaint that impressive works suffer neglect is ubiquitous. Evidence shows that Boyle was widely read and highly esteemed in the eighteenth century. (Jean-Baptiste le Rond d’Alembert, the co-editor of the Encyclopédie, called him as “the father of experimental philosophy”.) His reputation declined when all his theories became obsolete. His works on hydrostatics
1
The complete editions of Boyle’s Works were subsidized by special benevolent funds (Hunter 1994, 2).
167 J. Agassi, The Very Idea of Modern Science: Francis Bacon and Robert Boyle, Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science 298, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5351-8_13, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013
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Boyle in the Eyes of Posterity
and on the elasticity of the air were superseded in his lifetime, but this did not hurt his reputation. The contributions of Priestley and Lavoisier did, as they left his chemistry far behind. Works by Dalton and by Gay-Lussac on gases had a similar effect. Inductivism is merciless to theories found insufficient.
13.2
Herschel’s Unfair Comment
In 1831, as Brewster debunked Bacon Herschel debunked Boyle; he did so authoritatively, setting the tone for a century (Preliminary Discourse, 1831, 115): The immediate followers of Bacon and Galileo ransacked all nature for new and surprising facts, with something of that craving for the marvellous which might be regarded as a remnant of the age o
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