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18 - Instruments and the Senses

from Part III - Problems and Controversies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 January 2022

By
Philippe Hamou
Edited by
David Marshall Miller  and
Dana Jalobeanu
David Marshall Miller
Affiliation:
Iowa State University
Dana Jalobeanu
Affiliation:
University of Bucharest
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Summary

The discovery and implementation of telescopy and microscopy extended the power of the senses, with often surprising results. The discoveries made with these instruments challenged existing theories of nature, while simultaneously demanding new theories to account for their operation, especially of vision. Moreover, early modern epistemology had to accommodate experiential evidence made by these “artificial” means. The chapter also address advances in the literature since the twenty-year-old classic, The Invisible World by Catherine Wilson.

Keywords

microscopetelescopedioptricsRené DescartesJohannes KeplerGalileo GalileiRobert HookeAntoni Van Leeuwenhoeksensationskepticism
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Chapter
Information
The Cambridge History of Philosophy of the Scientific Revolution , pp. 331 - 349
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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