DOCSLIB.ORG

Lunar Society' and the Industrial Revolution

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Lunar Society' and the Industrial Revolution Click here for Full Issue of Fidelio Volume 12, Number 1, Spring 2003 Franklin's 'Lunar Society' And the Industrial Revolution by Marcia Merry Baker new book is welcome about Franklin, and going back to Gott­ A the "Lunar Society"-the fried Leibniz, which were deliberately circle of great figures (Boul­ and consciously committed to scientific ton, Watt, Wedgwood, Priestley, et and technological advance to promote the al.) and great works (steam power, development of nations, on behalfof the canals, factories), centered in the common good. This was an explicit British Midlands during the decades goal, involving international collabora­ from the 1760's through 1800 (the tion of all kinds, through visits, letters, exact period of the successful Ameri­ publishing, political battles, espionage, can Revolution), whose names are and so forth. associated with the advent of the In other words, the "Lunar Men" Industrial Revolution. The Lunar were not just a bunch of gifted, curi­ Men gives extensive biographies, ous, lucky locals. They were nation­ detailed histories by topic (e.g., chap­ builders by vocation, and highly suc­ ter headings-"Steam," "They Build cessful in their work at advancing sci­ Canals," "Ingenious Philosophers," The Lunar Men: ence and economic progress, and back­ etc.) and even a five-page chronology Five Friends Whose Curiosity ing and befriending the American of the Eighteenth century, 50 pages of Changed the World Revolution on behalf of all peoples. notes and sources, a detailed index, by Jenny Uglow In turn, what is underscored by and 144 illustrations. New York, Farrar, Straus and appreciating this interconnected histo­ Giroux, 2002 But, what the new book leaves out­ ry of the Lunar Society and the extend­ 588 pages, hardcover, $30.00 although it is still enjoyable to "read ed FrankliniLeibniz networks is, that into"-is the crucial history and strate- the conventional explanations for the gic context of the "Lunatics," as Erasmus Darwin fondly origins of the Industrial Revolution, are myths and false­ self-described them. Namely, that the Lunar circle of cre­ hoods. The usual idea is that "capitalists"-defined as ative personalities, centered in Birmingham, was intercon­ those with funds (often, with a so-called "Calvinist eth­ nected with international networks led by Benjamin ic"), apply technology, centralize production into factory 74 © 2003 Schiller Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission strictly prohibited. systems, and increase output. The uncontrolled outcome fo rm through the early 1790's, by which time heavy polit­ is guided by the Invisible Hand of free-trade imperialists ical harassment and age had taken their toll. In 1813, the of the Adam Smith variety. In the course of it all, terrible books jointly owned by the Lunar Society were auctioned social ills inevitably result. off. Karl Marx presents the fa mous version of this imput­ This description of the formal side of the Lunar Soci­ ed process in his 1848 Communist Manifesto. Then there ety in no way tells the tale, however. The most efficient is the more academic version by Oxford professor way to understand who they were, and what they were Arnold Toynbee (uncle of the well-known historian about, is to go back to the intellectual author of such an Arnold J. Toynbee), who is credited with popularizing effort as theirs, namely, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz the concept in his Lectures on the Industrial Revolution, (1646-1716), who wrote a series of documents from 1671 1884.1 to 1716, amounting to blueprints fo r national economic These two dismal constructs are thoroughly debunked development, and specifying the role of "Societies" and in a 1988 monograph by historian Anton Chaitkin, titled, "Academies" to fo rge this process. "The Secret History of the Industrial Revolution."2 In his memorandum of 1671, "Economy and Soci­ Chaitkin prefaces his review of Franklin, the Lunar Soci­ ety," Leibniz wrote, "Thanks to these academies (or ety, and related networks, with the essential point: "The societies), which are institutions of research and devel­ secret to modern history is, that all the great break­ opment, with their own manufactures and commercial throughs in technology and living standards were delib­ companies directly attached, the monopolies will be erate projects fo r the improvement of humanity, guided eliminated, because the academy will always offe r a just, by the principles of the American Declaration of Inde­ low price fo r merchandise; and quite often, in fact, these pendence." His specific reference is to the Leibnizian will become even less expensive, as new manufacturing concept of, "Happiness," used in the Declaration's phrase, activities are set up, where they do not presently exist. "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"-n amely, Notably, the trading monopolies will be eliminated ... pleasure in providing fo r the common good. because the wealth of the traders is much too great, and the misery of the workers fa r too profound-a situation seen particularly in Holland, where the method of the The Lunar Society's merchants is to maintain the workers in a state of Leibnizian Provenance poverty and menial labor.. .. Trade cannot transfer The achievements of the Lunar Society, as individuals anything which has not before been produced by manu­ and collaboratively, are spectacular in terms of providing fa cturing. And why must so many people be reduced to fo r the public good. They conspired to do so. such poverty, fo r the sake of so fe w? The Society will First, some fo rmalities. therefore have as its goal to liberate the worker from his The "Lunar" name itself, was said to be chosen simply misery."3 because of the group's intent to meet regularly-at least Thus did the Lunar Society function, in direct opposi­ monthly, and preferably on a Monday or Sunday nearest tion to the spirit and practice of the imperial British East the fu ll moon, when going home late at night would be India and Dutch East India Companies of the day. easier. The Lunar Men, numbering some six to 13 or so, plus frequent guests, would gather at one of their homes, The 'Lunar Men' in Birmingham, Lichfield, or nearby in the Midlands region. They tried to begin at 2 p.m. and work until late, There are over a dozen "Lunar Men" who came to live, even staying through the next day on occasion, in order work, and collaborate directly in the greater Birmingham to confer, conduct demonstration experiments, and area; Jenny Uglow singles out five principals, which is review projects and correspondence together. Their top­ fa ir enough. She traces their lives in great detail. A brief ics ranged widely, on chosen matters of science, technolo­ look at just a fe w of the individual activities and achieve­ gy, infrastructure, policy, medicine, and so fo rth. Author ments of these five,and at the great successes of their col­ Uglow provides us with the household accounts of the laboration in terms of promoting economic advance, good eating involved, and what fa mily members did dur­ gives the sense of the scope of the Society.4 They are all ing Lunar sessions. typical of the energetic, voluntarist men of ideas, who peo­ The grouping took fo rm in the 1760's; made a resolu­ pled Franklin's networks of "American" conspirators in tion as of New Year's Day 1775, to keep as "regular" as Europe. possible in their meeting schedule; and persisted in some Matthew Boulton (1728-1809). The son of a Birm- 75 ingham maker of buttons and small fixtures, Boulton six volumes on Experiments and Observations on DijJerent came to build a vast manufacturing establishment in Kinds of Air. He did similarly significant work on elec­ Soho, Birmingham. Through his firm of Small, Boul­ tricity, and at the request of Franklin, wrote a History and ton & Watt, the steam engine was vastly improved, and Present State of Electricity. Politically targetted fo r mob came into general installation not only fo r pumping in violence, he fled Birmingham in 1794 fo r Pennsylvania, mines, but fo r manufacturing, milling, and general where he continued laboratory work in Northumberland use. County, until his death in 1804. Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795). Born into the trade of Around this core in Birmingham, numbers of others the Staffordshire potteries, Wedgwood made, and/or collaborated in the Lunar Society. U glow lists and applied, a series of significant discoveries in heat, clays, describes, John Whitehurst (1713-1788); James Keir minerals, etc., and using constantly improved organiza­ (1735-1820); William Withering (1741-1799); Richard tions of production, established a vast pottery manufactur­ Lovell Edgworth (1744-1817); Thomas Day (1748-1789); ing operation which exists to this day. He made signifi­ and Samuel Galton (1753-1832). Another noted figure cant contributions to geology, mineralogy, and chemistry. was John Baskerville (1706-1775), the famous printer. James Watt (1736-1819). Born and raised in Special mention-it is covered in detail in U glow's Greenock, Scotland, among marine-serving instrument book-goes to Dr. William Small. A Scottish doctor and rigging makers, Watt became a master at mechanical who taught at William and Mary College in Virginia design, with wide experience among scientific circles at (with Thomas Jefferson as a pupil), Small returned to Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities. Giving great Britain, and in May 1765, aged 30, arrived on Boulton's attention to heat, phase-changes of water, and other fun­ doorstep in Soho, with a letter of introduction from damentals, his work was critical to the Boulton partner­ Franklin, which described him as, "both an ingenious ship, in making improvements to harness steam power.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Lunar Society of Birmingham and the Practice of Science in 18Th Century Great Britain
    Union College Union | Digital Works Honors Theses Student Work 6-2011 The unL ar Society of Birmingham and the Practice of Science in 18th Century Great Britain Scott H. Zurawel Union College - Schenectady, NY Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalworks.union.edu/theses Part of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons Recommended Citation Zurawel, Scott H., "The unL ar Society of Birmingham and the Practice of Science in 18th Century Great Britain" (2011). Honors Theses. 1092. https://digitalworks.union.edu/theses/1092 This Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Work at Union | Digital Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Union | Digital Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. i THE LUNAR SOCIETY OF BIRMINGHAM AND THE PRACTICE OF SCIENCE IN 18TH CENTURY GREAT BRITAIN: A STUDY OF JOSPEH PRIESTLEY, JAMES WATT AND WILLIAM WITHERING By Scott Henry Zurawel ******* Submitted in partial fulfillment Of the requirements for Honors in the Department of History UNION COLLEGE March, 2011 ii ABSTRACT Zurawel, Scott The Lunar Society of Birmingham and the Practice of Science in Eighteenth-Century Great Britain: A Study of Joseph Priestley, James Watt, and William Withering This thesis examines the scientific and technological advancements facilitated by members of the Lunar Society of Birmingham in eighteenth-century Britain. The study relies on a number of primary sources, which range from the regular correspondence of its members to their various published scientific works. The secondary sources used for this project range from comprehensive books about the society as a whole to sources concentrating on particular members.
    [Show full text]
  • William Playfair Excerpt More Information
    Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-85554-9 - The Commercial and Political Atlas and Statistical Breviary William Playfair Excerpt More information Introduction Sometime in 1787, just two years before France was plunged into revolu- tion and chaos, the Count of Vergennes delivered a package to the royal court of France for the attention of the king. The gift for Louis XVI had come to Vergennes from Lord Lansdowne, an English politician who was on intimate terms with many in the upper echelons of Parisian society. Vergennes was certain that Louis XVI would be very interested in the contents of the package. The gift was a book written by a young Scottish engineer and en- trepreneur who had recently moved to Paris with hopes of making his fortune. His book had been published in London during the previous year and was entitled The Commercial and Political Atlas but, unlike more conventional atlases in this era of great exploration, it contained no maps. It did contain charts, but of a new and unfamiliar variety. Louis XVI, an amateur of geography and the owner of many fine atlases, examined his acquisition with great interest. Although the charts were novel, Louis had no difficulty in grasping their purpose. Many years later, their author wrote that [the king] at once understood the charts and was highly pleased. He said they spoke all languages and were very clear and easily understood. (Playfair, 1822–3) A further indication of the king’s approval was the royal permit he granted for the establishment of a factory to work metals in Paris.
    [Show full text]
  • Erasmus Darwin - Poems
    Classic Poetry Series Erasmus Darwin - poems - Publication Date: 2012 Publisher: Poemhunter.com - The World's Poetry Archive Erasmus Darwin(12 December 1731 – 18 April 1802) Erasmus Darwin was an English physician who turned down George III's invitation to be a physician to the King. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, abolitionist, inventor and poet. His poems included much natural history, including a statement of evolution and the relatedness of all forms of life. He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family, which includes his grandsons Charles Darwin and Francis Galton. Darwin was also a founding member of the Lunar Society of Birmingham, a discussion group of pioneering industrialists and natural philosophers. <b>Early Life</b> Born at Elston Hall, Nottinghamshire near Newark-on-Trent, England, the youngest of seven children of Robert Darwin of Elston (12 August 1682–20 November 1754), a lawyer, and his wife Elizabeth Hill (1702–1797). The name Erasmus had been used by a number of his family and derives from his ancestor Erasmus Earle, Common Sergent of England under Oliver Cromwell. His siblings were: Robert Darwin (17 October 1724–4 November 1816) Elizabeth Darwin (15 September 1725–8 April 1800) William Alvey Darwin (3 October 1726–7 October 1783) Anne Darwin (12 November 1727–3 August 1813) Susannah Darwin (10 April 1729–29 September 1789) John Darwin, rector of Elston (28 September 1730–24 May 1805) He was educated at Chesterfield Grammar School, then later at St John's College, Cambridge. He obtained his medical education at the University of Edinburgh Medical School.
    [Show full text]
  • Soho Depicted: Prints, Drawings and Watercolours of Matthew Boulton, His Manufactory and Estate, 1760-1809
    SOHO DEPICTED: PRINTS, DRAWINGS AND WATERCOLOURS OF MATTHEW BOULTON, HIS MANUFACTORY AND ESTATE, 1760-1809 by VALERIE ANN LOGGIE A thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of History of Art College of Arts and Law The University of Birmingham January 2011 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This thesis explores the ways in which the industrialist Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) used images of his manufactory and of himself to help develop what would now be considered a ‘brand’. The argument draws heavily on archival research into the commissioning process, authorship and reception of these depictions. Such information is rarely available when studying prints and allows consideration of these images in a new light but also contributes to a wider debate on British eighteenth-century print culture. The first chapter argues that Boulton used images to convey messages about the output of his businesses, to draw together a diverse range of products and associate them with one site. Chapter two explores the setting of the manufactory and the surrounding estate, outlining Boulton’s motivation for creating the parkland and considering the ways in which it was depicted.
    [Show full text]
  • Tobias Heinrich Friedrich Schlichtegroll's Nekrolog
    Pour citer cet article : Heinrich, Tobias, « Friedrich Schlichtegroll’s Nekrolog. Enlightenment Biography », Les Grandes figures historiques dans les lettres et les arts [en ligne], n° 6 (2017), URL : http://figures-historiques.revue.univ-lille3.fr/6-2017-issn-2261-0871/. Tobias Heinrich New College, University of Oxford Friedrich Schlichtegroll’s Nekrolog. Enlightenment Biography.1 Let the dead bury the dead. We want to see the deceased as living beings, to rejoice in their lives, including their lives as they continue after their demise, and for this same reason we gratefully record their enduring contribution for posterity.2 It is with these words that Johann Gottfried Herder (1744-1803), theorist of Weimar Classicism and progenitor of Cultural Studies [Kulturwissenschaften], commences his critical review of Friedrich Schlichtegroll’s Nekrolog, an annual collection of biographies on the lives of exceptional people recently deceased. The review, part of Herder’s Briefe zu Beförderung der Humanität [Letters for the Advancement of Humanity] (1792-1797), outlines how the biographer’s task may be understood as an intrinsically political activity, particularly when it comes to collective rather than singular narratives, which were the dominant form of biographical discourse in eighteenth-century Germany.3 However, Herder’s incitation is aimed less at future biographers than at their readers. Instead of seeing obituaries as a passive act of mourning, he envisions a form of public memory that regards the lives of the departed as an inspiration for a better future: ‘They are not dead, our benefactors and friends: for their souls, their contributions to the human race, their memories live on.’4 Herder conceives of humanity [Humanität] as a communal pursuit, aimed at the development of the potential inherent in humankind.
    [Show full text]
  • Scotland and the Americas 1600 to 1800 Jose Amor Y Vazquez
    SCOTLAND AND THE AMERICAS 1600 TO 1800 JOSE AMOR Y VAZQUEZ JOHN BOCKSTOCE T. KIMBALL BROOKER J. CARTER BROWN VINCENT J. BUONANNO MARY MAPLES DUNN GEORGE D. EDWARDS, JR. VARTAN GREGORIAN, Chairman Board of Governors ARTEMIS A. W. JOUKOWSKY of the John Carter Brown FREDERICK LIPPITT Library JOSE E. MINDLIN EUSTASIO RODRIGUEZ ALVAREZ CLINTON I. SMULLYAN, JR. FRANK S. STREETER MERRILY TAYLOR CHARLES C. TILLINGHAST, JR. LADISLAUS VON HOFFMANN WILLIAM B. WARREN CHARLES II. WATTS, II Sponsors arid Patrons Sponsors MR. AND MRS. REINALDO HERRERA HR OS WITH A SOCIETY TIIE DRUE HEINZ FOUNDATION THE DUNVEGAN FOUNDATION MR. AND MRS. JAY I. KISLAK MR. SIDNEY LAPIDUS Honorary Patron MR. MAGNUS LINKLATER MR. GEORGE S. LOWRY LORD PERTH OF PERTHSHIRE MR. N. DOUGLAS MACLEOD DR. ALEXANDER C. MCLEOD Patrons Committee MR. AND MRS. ROBERT L. MCNEIL, JR. MRS. STANLEY D. SCOTT THE HONORABLE J. WILLIAM MIDDENDORF, II MR. TIMOTHY C. FORBES, Co-chairmen MR. RICHARD W. MONCRIEF THE HONORABLE J. SINCLAIR ARMSTRONG MR. GEORGE PARKER MR. GEORGE D. EDWARDS. JR. MR. WILLIAM S. REESE MRS. ROBERT H. I. GODDARD MR. AND MRS. DAVID F. REMINGTON DR. ALEXANDER C. MCLEOD MR. ROBERT A. ROBINSON MRS. PETER SAINT GERMAIN MR. MORDECAI K. ROSENFELD MR. J. THOMAS TOUCHTON THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND MR. CHARLES M. ROYCE MRS. JANE GREGORY RUBIN THE HONORABLE J. SINCLAIR ARMSTRONG MR. AND MRS. PETER SAINT GERMAIN MRS. VINCENT ASTOR MR. AND MRS. STANLEY DEFOREST SCOTT MR. LYMAN G. BLOOMINGDALE DR. AND MRS. THOMAS SCULCO DR. JOHN AND LADY ROMAYNE BOCKSTOCE MR. AND MRS. ROBERT B. SHEA MR. AND MRS.
    [Show full text]
  • Bicentenary Programme Celebrating the Life and Legacy of James Watt
    Bicentenary programme celebrating the life and legacy of James Watt 2019 marks the 200th anniversary of the death of the steam engineer James Watt (1736-1819), one of the most important historic figures connected with Birmingham and the Midlands. Born in Greenock in Scotland in 1736, Watt moved to Birmingham in 1774 to enter into a partnership with the metalware manufacturer Matthew Boulton. The Boulton & Watt steam engine was to become, quite literally, one of the drivers of the Industrial Revolution in Britain and around the world. Although best known for his steam engine work, Watt was a man of many other talents. At the start of his career he worked as both a mathematical instrument maker and a civil engineer. In 1780 he invented the first reliable document copier. He was also a talented chemist who was jointly responsible for proving that water is a compound rather than an element. He was a member of the famous Lunar Portrait of James Watt by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1812 Society of Birmingham, along with other Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust leading thinkers such as Matthew Boulton, Erasmus Darwin, Joseph Priestley and The 2019 James Watt Bicentenary Josiah Wedgwood. commemorative programme is The Boulton & Watt steam engine business coordinated by the Lunar Society. was highly successful and Watt became a We are delighted to be able to offer wealthy man. In 1790 he built a new house, a wide-ranging programme of events Heathfield Hall in Handsworth (demolished and activities in partnership with a in 1927). host of other Birmingham organisations. Following his retirement in 1800 he continued to develop new inventions For more information about the in his workshop at Heathfield.
    [Show full text]
  • Accounting and Labour Control at Boulton and Watt, C. 1775-1810
    This is a repository copy of Accounting and Labour Control at Boulton and Watt, c. 1775- 1810. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/11233/ Monograph: Toms, S. (2010) Accounting and Labour Control at Boulton and Watt, c. 1775-1810. Working Paper. Department of Management Studies, University of York Reuse Items deposited in White Rose Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the White Rose Research Online record for the item. Takedown If you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing [email protected] including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. [email protected] https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ promoting access to White Rose research papers Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ 11233 Working Paper Toms, S (2010) Accounting and Labour Control at Boulton and Watt, c. 1775-1810 Working paper number 52. White Rose Research Online [email protected] University of York The York Management School Working Paper No. 52 ISSN Number: 1743-4041 March 2010 Accounting and Labour Control at Boulton and Watt, c.
    [Show full text]
  • The Library of Robert Carter of Nomini Hall
    W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 1970 The Library of Robert Carter of Nomini Hall Katherine Tippett Read College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Read, Katherine Tippett, "The Library of Robert Carter of Nomini Hall" (1970). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539624697. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-syjc-ae62 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE LIBRARY OF ROBERT CARTER OF NOMINI HALL A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of History The College of William and Mary in Virginia In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts By Katherine Tippett Read 1970 APPROVAL SHEET This thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Author Approved, May 1970 Jane Cdrson, Ph. D Robert Maccubbin, Ph. D. John JEJ Selby, Pm. D. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The writer wishes to express her appreciation to Miss Jane Carson, under whose direction this investigation was conducted, for her patient guidance and criticism throughout the investigation. The author is also indebted to Mr. Robert Maccubbin and Mr. John E. Selby for their careful reading and criticism of the manuscript.
    [Show full text]
  • The Lunar Society
    Ch F-X ang PD e w Click to buy NOW! w m o w c .d k. ocu-trac The Lunar Society The Lunar Circle or Society was an informal club or association of significant scientific men which flourished in and around Birmingham for nearly forty years. Origins: The origins of the Lunar Society lie in a pattern of friendships that emerged in the late 1750s. Erasmus Darwin and Matthew Boulton first met in early 1757, possibly through family connections, as Boulton's mother's family were patients of Darwin; or possibly though shared friendships, as both were admirers of the printer John Baskerville and friends of the astronomer and geologist John Michell, a regular visitor to Darwin's house in Lichfield1. Darwin was a physician and poet who had studied at Cambridge and Edinburgh; Boulton had left school at fourteen and started work in his father's business making metal goods in Birmingham at the age of 21. Despite their different backgrounds they shared a common interest in experiment and invention, and their activities would show Darwin's theoretical understanding and Boulton's practical experience to be complementary2. Soon they were visiting each other regularly and conducting investigations into scientific subjects such as electricity, meteorology and geology3. Erasmus Darwin Matthew Boulton In 1758, first Boulton and then Darwin became friends of the Derby-based clockmaker John Whitehurst. The link began with Whitehurst supplying clock movements to Boulton’s manufacturing operation but then extended into other experiments. Boulton, Darwin and Whitehurst were in turn introduced by Mitchell to Benjamin Franklin on his visit to Birmingham in July 1758 "to improve and increase Acquaintance among Persons of Influence"4, and Franklin returned in 1760 to conduct experiments with Boulton on electricity and sound5.
    [Show full text]
  • After Virtue: Once in Its Rank Orderingof the Virtues
    http://www.jstor.org/stable/3561072 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=hastings. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1995 to build trusted digital archives for scholarship. We work with the scholarly community to preserve their work and the materials they rely upon, and to build a common research platform that promotes the discovery and use of these resources. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The Hastings Center is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Hastings Center Report. http://www.jstor.org F:ROM HOMER TO BENJAMIN FRANKLIN l The Nature of the Virtues by ALASDAIRMacINTYRE ourselves. For we would now seem to be saying that Ho- mer's concept of an arete, an excellence, is one thing and O ne responseto the historyof Greekand medieval that our concept of a virtue is quite anothersince a particu- thoughtabout the virtuesmight well be to suggest thateven lar qualitycan be an excellence in Homer's eyes, but not a within that relativelycoherent tradition of thoughtthere are virtue in ours and vice versa.
    [Show full text]
  • Franklin and Mesmer
    YALE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 66 (1993), pp. 325-331 Copyright C 1994. All rights reserved. Franklin and Mesmer: An Encountera Claude-Anne Lopezb Papers ofBenjamin Franklin, Yale University New Haven, Connecticut (Submitted May 27, 1993; sent for revision July 9; received and accepted July 26, 1993) In 1784, as the Enlightenment was on the wane, Paris faced a debate in which reason confronted the supematural and the mysterious. Dr. Mesmer, a graduate of the medical school in Vienna, had been running a "magnetic clinic" based on the belief that magnetic fluid, flowing from the stars, permeated all living beings and that every disease was due to an obstruction in the flow. By manipu- lating that fluid, he launched the concept of animal as opposed to mineral mag- netism and claimed to cure all ills. This got him into trouble with the medical faculty, and in 1778 he emigrated to Paris, creating secret societies all over France. Six years later, mesmerism was considered a threat, possibly deleter- ious to both mind and body. Louis XVI appointed two commissions to investi- gate this likely fraud. Dr. Guillotin headed one; the other, made up of five members of the Academy of Sciences, included an astronomer and was headed by Franklin, American Ambassador to France. Both commissions concluded that the success of mesmerism was due to the manipulation of the imagination. Mesmer protested vigorously but in vain. He left France and died in obscurity in 1815. In the year 1784, the population of Paris watched in mounting excitement as the two most celebrated foreigners in its midst confronted each other in a debate that involved medicine and humanism.
    [Show full text]