| Description |
1 online resource (x, 275 pages) |
| Series |
Science and culture in the nineteenth century ; no. 17 |
|
Science and culture in the nineteenth century ; no. 17
|
| Contents |
1. Belief in free will : what was at stake? -- 2. Physiology and mind in the 1870s -- 3. Shaping the science of psychology -- 4. Volition and mental activity -- 5. Causation and effort -- 6. The moral agent -- 7. History and society -- 8. The legacy |
| Summary |
From the late nineteenth century onwards religion gave way to science as the dominant force in society. This led to a questioning of the principle of free will - if the workings of the human mind could be reduced to purely physiological explanations, then what place was there for human agency and self-improvement? Smith takes an in-depth look at the problem of free will through the prism of different disciplines. Physiology, psychology, philosophy, evolutionary theory, ethics, history and sociology all played a part in the debates that took place. His subtly nuanced navigation through these arguments has much to contribute to our understanding of Victorian and Edwardian science and culture, as well as having relevance to current debates on the role of genes in determining behaviour |
| Notes |
Originally published 2013 by Pickering & Chatto (Publishers) Limited |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 235-267) and index |
| Subject |
Science and psychology -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century
|
|
Free will and determinism -- History -- 19th century
|
|
Free will and determinism
|
|
Science and psychology
|
|
Great Britain
|
| Genre/Form |
History
|
| Form |
Electronic book
|
| ISBN |
9781315654898 |
|
131565489X |
|
9781317320449 |
|
1317320441 |
|
9781317320425 |
|
1317320425 |
|
9781317320432 |
|
1317320433 |
|
