Whewell picture

William Whewell -- Grant Roberts PHIL202

By Grant_Roberts

  • Birth and Early Childhood

    William was born on the 24th of May, 1794. He was born in Lancaster in England. William was the son of John Whewell and Elizabeth Bennison. John was a master carpenter, and wished young William would follow in his trade, however William would soon show great ability in mathematics. These abilities would someday award William with a scholarship to Trinity College in Cambridge where he would accel in his career as a philosopher. (Britannica, 2021).

  • Winner of the Chancellor's Prize and Other Accomplishments

    Winner of the Chancellor's Prize and Other Accomplishments
    In 1814, William was attending Trinity college and won the Chancellor's prize for the poem "Boadicea." (Stanford, 2017). This was wonderful news to his mother, Elizabeth, who had published many poems in the local newspaper. Although William was quite the poet, he was still wonderful with his other subjects. William placed second place in the Wrangler and Smith's Prize man, in mathematics. After this, he won a college fellowship, and was elected to the Royal Society and ordained a priest.

  • British Association of the Advancement of Science

    Whewell attends the British Association of the Advancement of Science, in Cambridge. This meeting was the first place that "scientist" was uttered. William Whewell was the one who said this. This meeting took place in 1833, only 188 years ago. Mr. Whewell and three other philosophers by the names of Babbage, Herschel, and Jones.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc_-Y9rDN2g
    Laura Snyder on the "Philosophical Breakfast Club."

  • Professor Whewell and Master of Trinity College

    Professor Whewell and Master of Trinity College
    William Whewell in 1842 became the Universities' Moral Philosophy professor. He was shortly thereafter named the Master of Trinity College after receiving a recommendation from the prime minister Roberts Peel. (Stanford, 2017). Professor Whewell was a big proponent to the universities' Natural and Moral Science programs.

  • Death

    Death
    Whewell had no children, and was married twice after his first wife passed away in 1855. Whewell died after being thrown from his horse in Cambridge on March 6th, 1866. Whewell was 72 years old. His works in mechanics, physics, astronomy, economic, and geology helped shape today's accepted theories.

  • References

    Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 22 Sep., 2017. William Whewell. Retrieved from: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/whewell/ Britannica, 2 March, 2021. William Whewell. Retrieved from:
    https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Whewell