David M Knight
Encyclopedia
David M. Knight is Professor of the History and Philosophy of Science at Durham University
.
, he read chemistry at Keble College, Oxford
and, after serving in the military, read a DPhil in the history of Victorian chemistry under the supervision of Alistair Cameron Crombie
, Oxford University's Professor of the History of Science. After Oxford he was appointed as Durham's lecturer in the history of science in the Department of Philosophy and has remained there for the duration of his career. He has served on on the editorial boards of Ambix, Archives of Natural, History Annals of Science, and the British Journal for the History of Science and has edited history of science book series for Cambridge University Press
, Routledge
and Ashgate Publishers.
Although he was trained as a historian of ideas, Knight has spent his career developing a unique approach to the history of science that draws from methods used in the history of the book, social history and biographical history. His interest in the cultural history of science led him to write a number of books that focused a wide number of topics, including the history of chemistry, the history of natural history, science and religion, and the public understanding of science. He has been President of the British Society for the History of Science and has received numerous awards during the duration of his career, including the Templeton Award for his work on nineteenth century natural theology and the American Chemical Society
's prestigious Edelstein Award for his research in the history of chemistry.
Knight and his wife, Sarah, have six children.
Atoms and Elements (1967), The Nature of Science (1976), Ordering the World (1981), The Age of Science (1986), Natural Science Books in English, 1600-1900 (1989), Humphry Davy: Science and Power (1992), Science in the Romantic Era (1998), Science and Spirituality (2003), Public Understanding of Science (2006).
Jointly Edited Books
(with M D Eddy) Science and Beliefs; from Natural Philosophy to Natural Science (2005), (with M D Eddy), William Paley’s Natural Theology: or, Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity (2006).
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
.
Life
The son of the Dean of ExeterDean of Exeter
The Dean of Exeter is the head of the Chapter of Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, England. The chapter was established by Bishop William Briwere who set up the offices of Dean and chancellor of Exeter Cathedral, allowing the chapter to elect those officers.The current Dean lives at the...
, he read chemistry at Keble College, Oxford
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
and, after serving in the military, read a DPhil in the history of Victorian chemistry under the supervision of Alistair Cameron Crombie
Alistair Cameron Crombie
Alistair Cameron Crombie was an Australian historian of science who began his career as a zoologist. He was noted for his contributions to research on competition between species before turning to history....
, Oxford University's Professor of the History of Science. After Oxford he was appointed as Durham's lecturer in the history of science in the Department of Philosophy and has remained there for the duration of his career. He has served on on the editorial boards of Ambix, Archives of Natural, History Annals of Science, and the British Journal for the History of Science and has edited history of science book series for Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
, Routledge
Routledge
Routledge is a British publishing house which has operated under a succession of company names and latterly as an academic imprint. Its origins may be traced back to the 19th-century London bookseller George Routledge...
and Ashgate Publishers.
Although he was trained as a historian of ideas, Knight has spent his career developing a unique approach to the history of science that draws from methods used in the history of the book, social history and biographical history. His interest in the cultural history of science led him to write a number of books that focused a wide number of topics, including the history of chemistry, the history of natural history, science and religion, and the public understanding of science. He has been President of the British Society for the History of Science and has received numerous awards during the duration of his career, including the Templeton Award for his work on nineteenth century natural theology and the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
's prestigious Edelstein Award for his research in the history of chemistry.
Knight and his wife, Sarah, have six children.
Works
Single Authored Books:Atoms and Elements (1967), The Nature of Science (1976), Ordering the World (1981), The Age of Science (1986), Natural Science Books in English, 1600-1900 (1989), Humphry Davy: Science and Power (1992), Science in the Romantic Era (1998), Science and Spirituality (2003), Public Understanding of Science (2006).
Jointly Edited Books
(with M D Eddy) Science and Beliefs; from Natural Philosophy to Natural Science (2005), (with M D Eddy), William Paley’s Natural Theology: or, Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity (2006).