A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

26408

Title

A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Augustus De Morgan's *A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II* is a witty and skeptical collection of philosophical and scientific oddities. The text explores the absurdities of 19th-century pseudoscience, from claims that the Sun revolves around the Earth to algebraic proofs of God's existence. With a sharp, satirical tone, De Morgan dissects the arguments of self-proclaimed geniuses, highlighting the clash between established science and the persistent allure of false authority.

Summary up to 500 words

In *A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II*, Augustus De Morgan curates a collection of eccentric claims and scientific controversies from the mid-19th century, serving as both a historical record of scientific folly and a defense of rational inquiry. The volume opens by contrasting the rigorous mathematical faith of giants like Laplace and Euler with the 'small fry' who deny a supreme intelligence. De Morgan recounts anecdotes illustrating the steadfastness of these great geometers, such as Laplace's famous reply to Napoleon regarding the necessity of the hypothesis of God in his cosmological system, and Euler's algebraic demonstration of God's existence to the atheist Diderot. De Morgan then addresses what he terms the 'sorest' astronomical disputes: the rotation of the Moon. He critiques the confident assertions of James Laurie and Jellinger Symons, who claimed the Moon does not rotate on its axis, arguing that such views stem from prejudice rather than evidence. He exposes the confusion and self-conceit of these 'paradoxers,' asserting that while errors can be destroyed, the truths supported by great men are far more resilient. The text also debunks theories suggesting Neptune was an intruder rather than a genuine discovery, and ridicules early aviation prophecies by Darwin and pamphlets by authors like Protimalethes regarding blood circulation and planetary systems. A significant portion is dedicated to Mr. Reddie, whose book *The Mechanics of the Heavens* challenged Newtonian gravitation. De Morgan meticulously dismantles Reddie's claims, clarifying that the Royal Astronomical Society's reports expressed doubt about the precision of data regarding solar motion, not the fact of solar motion itself. He exposes how Reddie misinterpreted the Council's reports to claim he had forced the Astronomer Royal to abandon the theory of solar motion. Throughout, the author asserts that learning can annihilate learning, but ignorance cannot be annihilated by learning alone. The work stands as a spirited rebuttal to 'ungenerous slurs' and false pretensions, upholding the integrity of scientific method against the 'ungenerous slurs' of the uneducated.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Science
• Mathematics