Boris Hessen and Philosophy
The Socioeconomic Roots of Classical and Modern Physics
Zusammenfassung
In 1931, Soviet philosopher, Boris Hessen presented a paper at the Second International Congress of the History of Science and Technology in London, England. It was a watershed moment, marking the founding of the ‘externalist’ approach to the history and philosophy of science. Five years after this talk, however, Hessen was executed in what became Joseph Stalin’s Great Purge of the 1930s. Nearly a century after his death, we still know all too little about this pioneering figure and his expansive oeuvre. In this book, Sean Winkler provides a reading of Hessen’s philosophy and its unique approach to understanding the relationship between socioeconomic development, technological progress and natural scientific theory. To further encourage the study of Hessen, the book also includes first-time translations of his contributions to the Soviet Encyclopedia. Through a systematic analysis, Winkler reflects upon Hessen’s contribution to the history and philosophy of science of the past and his possible significance in the world today.
Schlagworte
Philosophy of Science Marxism Social Study of Science Soviet History Technology Studies Russian History Boris GessenKeywords
materialism dialectic- i–xiv Preface i–xiv
- 53–83 3: Modern Physics 53–83
- 102–105 Conclusion 102–105
- 106–113 Postscript 106–113
- 114–116 Space 114–116
- 117–119 Ether 117–119
- 120–136 Energy 120–136
- 137–150 Entropy 137–150
- 151–152 The Ergodic Hypothesis 151–152
- 153–156 Einstein 153–156
- 157–168 Bibliography 157–168
- 169–178 Index 169–178