Overview and Comments on "Oxford Portrait of Science: Faraday" - Recommended biography of the early 19th century English scientific genius who laid the foundation for electric civilization.
Introduced here is "Oxford Portrait of Science: Faraday," written by Colin A. Russell and translated by Yasuko Suda, published by Otsuki Shoten in 2007.
Let's take a quick look at the book.
In 1804, at the age of 13, he became an apprentice to a bookseller and bookbinder, where he encountered a book that inspired him to pursue a career in science. The following is a look at Faraday's achievements and life, including his many discoveries as a pioneer in the sciences of electricity and magnetism, as well as his Christmas lectures, which are still read today as "The Science of Candles," and which laid the foundation for scientific lectures for the public and children.
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Faraday was a scientist born in London in 1791.
Speaking of Faraday, even though I was not good at science subjects, I vaguely remembered the term "Faraday's Law.
I had an image of him as a big name in the scientific world, but I had no idea about the time period in which he lived and what kind of life he led.
This biography was such a surprise to me.
First of all, he lived in England from the end of the 18th century to the 19th century, the very period in which the great writers and thinkers we have introduced in this blog were active.
Although more than 20 years older than Dickens, Marx, and Engels, Faraday's scientific achievements had a tremendous impact on the very times in which they lived.
It is also important to note that heSandemanismIt was also surprising to learn that he was a devout believer in a minority of Christianity called the fact that so many scientists were so fervently Christian.
At the end of this biography, he explains this as follows
（Above (his) grave is a simple stone with the following epitaph
Michael Faraday
Born on September 2, 1791 and passed away on August 25, 1867Thus, the man who transformed the face of modern science and, consequently, society itself, "the greatest experimental natural philosopher in the history of the world" (Tyndall's words), was laid to rest forever. Maxwell said that Faraday was "the father of the enlarged science of electromagnetism. Lord Kelvin also said that he was "the reason I fell in love with electrodynamics." So many biographies have been written about Faraday that not even Newton or Einstein could match him.
Many things may have contributed to Faraday's extraordinary achievement. But there is no doubt that Faraday's science owed much to religion. Even the agnostic Tingle admits that "Faraday's religiosity and philosophy were inseparable. Many examples of this have already been mentioned. The most important of these were the belief in identity in nature, the choice of the idea of the central point of ka over Dalton's atomism, the awe of nature inspired by the Bible, and the sheer joy and determination to understand the Creator's work.
As is well known, in 1844 he declared, "There is no 'philosophy' at all in my faith. Faraday did not mean to imply that there is no connection between science and religious truth. He meant that scientific knowledge ("philosophy," as Faraday called it) does not elucidate religion, nor does it lead man to God. Faraday's lecturing skills, his dislike of the "establishment," and his desire to serve his fellow man through science were all closely tied to his Sandemanite faith and practice. Faith gave meaning, purpose, and form to science and other aspects of Faraday's entire life.
Michael Faraday was an outstanding genius, unparalleled as far as science is concerned, but typical of many gifted scientists in his fusion of science and Christianity, his strong faith in the authority of the Bible, and his simple faith in Christ. For these scientists, and for Faraday, the pursuit of science was more than just an exciting and satisfying task. Essentially, science was a Christian mission. It is precisely on this point that we can understand Michael Faraday's life and achievements.
Otsuki Shoten, Oxford Portrait of Science Faraday, translated by Colin A. Russell and Yasuko Suda, p. 151-152
Some line breaks have been made.
Michael Faraday was an unparalleled and outstanding genius as far as science is concerned, but he was typical of many gifted scientists in his fusion of science and Christianity, his strong faith in the authority of the Bible, and his simple faith in Christ."
This is a very important point.
Can science and religion be compatible, a question that is raised in many places.
Especially Marx Engels.Scientific Socialism."and criticized religion. Long before that, Copernicus and Galileo were considered heretics by the Church and were punished.
We tend to have the image that science and religion are incompatible, but we can learn from Faraday's life that this is not generally true.
Also, Faraday's life itself, as told in this biography, is just as dramatic and interesting.
Faraday, the son of a blacksmith, was unable to receive an education due to his family's financial difficulties. However, his life began to change when he started working as an indentured servant in a bookbinding business at the age of 14 to earn a living. He became a self-taught man, and his intense curiosity led him down the path of science. His life from this point on was very interesting.
After securing his position as a scientist, Faraday continued to give lectures to the public to spread the appeal of science to the world. His lectures became very popular because they were enjoyable for both adults and children, and the famous "Science of Candles" was born from these lectures.
This caricature was familiar to me as well. I had seen this caricature before, because when you learn about the history and historical background of the Victorian era in England, this caricature is the first thing you see.
As a result of the Industrial Revolution, the British economy enjoyed an unprecedented boom, but it also suffered from severe pollution.
The Thames River, which flows through London, was emitting an unimaginable stench from sewage and industrial wastewater, and was a breeding ground for cholera and other epidemics. Faraday embarked on a scientific investigation of the disastrous pollution.
It was Faraday who started the trend of how to improve the environment from a scientific standpoint.
Faraday was also very active in many other fields. One can only be amazed at his diverse scientific abilities.
This biography is an easy-to-understand way to learn about Faraday's life. The style is easy to read and the volume is very compact at about 150 pages. I think this biography is an excellent introductory book for those who want to learn about Faraday's life.
I also appreciated this biography, which also gives me an insight into the atmosphere of 19th century England.
I would highly recommend this biography.
The above is "Oxford Portrait of Science: Faraday," a recommended biography of the early 19th century English scientific genius who laid the foundation for electric civilization.
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