Joseph Dauben
Encyclopedia
Joseph W. Dauben is a Herbert H. Lehman Distinguished Professor of History at the Graduate Center
of the City University of New York
. He obtained his Ph.D. from Harvard University
.
His Fields of expertise are history of science
, history of mathematics
, the scientific revolution
, sociology of science, intellectual history
, 17-18th centuries, history of Chinese science
, and the history of botany
.
His book Abraham Robinson
was reviewed positively by Moshé Machover
, but he noted that it avoids discussing any of Robinson's negative aspects, and "in this respect [the book] borders on the hagiographic,
painting a portrait without warts."
Dauben in a 1980 Guggenheim Fellow.
He is a a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
, and a Fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences
(since 1982).
Dauben is an elected member (1991) of the International Academy of the History of Science
. and an elected foreign member (2001) of German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
Dauben delivered an invited lecture at the 1998 International Congress of Mathematicians
in Berlin on Karl Marx's mathematical work
.
In 2002 Dauben became an honorary member of the Institute for History of Natural Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
.
In 1985-1994 Dauben served as the Chair of the Executive Committee of the International Commission on History of Mathematics.
CUNY Graduate Center
The Graduate Center of the City University of New York brings together graduate education, advanced research, and public programming to midtown Manhattan hosting 4,600 students, 33 doctoral programs, 7 master's programs, and 30 research centers and institutes...
of the City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
. He obtained his Ph.D. from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
His Fields of expertise are history of science
History of science
The history of science is the study of the historical development of human understandings of the natural world and the domains of the social sciences....
, history of mathematics
History of mathematics
The area of study known as the history of mathematics is primarily an investigation into the origin of discoveries in mathematics and, to a lesser extent, an investigation into the mathematical methods and notation of the past....
, the scientific revolution
Scientific revolution
The Scientific Revolution is an era associated primarily with the 16th and 17th centuries during which new ideas and knowledge in physics, astronomy, biology, medicine and chemistry transformed medieval and ancient views of nature and laid the foundations for modern science...
, sociology of science, intellectual history
Intellectual history
Note: this article concerns the discipline of intellectual history, and not its object, the whole span of human thought since the invention of writing. For clarifications about the latter topic, please consult the writings of the intellectual historians listed here and entries on individual...
, 17-18th centuries, history of Chinese science
History of science and technology in China
The history of science and technology in China is both long and rich with many contributions to science and technology. In antiquity, independently of other civilizations, ancient Chinese philosophers made significant advances in science, technology, mathematics, and astronomy...
, and the history of botany
History of botany
The history of botany examines the human effort to understand life on Earth by tracing the historical development of the discipline of botany—that part of natural science dealing with organisms traditionally treated as plants....
.
His book Abraham Robinson
Abraham Robinson
Abraham Robinson was a mathematician who is most widely known for development of non-standard analysis, a mathematically rigorous system whereby infinitesimal and infinite numbers were incorporated into mathematics....
was reviewed positively by Moshé Machover
Moshé Machover
Moshé Machover is a mathematician, philosopher, and socialist activist, noted for his writings against Zionism. Born to a Jewish family in Tel Aviv, then part of the British Mandate of Palestine, Machover moved to Britain in 1968 where he became a naturalised citizen...
, but he noted that it avoids discussing any of Robinson's negative aspects, and "in this respect [the book] borders on the hagiographic,
painting a portrait without warts."
Dauben in a 1980 Guggenheim Fellow.
He is a a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
, and a Fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences
New York Academy of Sciences
The New York Academy of Sciences is the third oldest scientific society in the United States. An independent, non-profit organization with more than members in 140 countries, the Academy’s mission is to advance understanding of science and technology...
(since 1982).
Dauben is an elected member (1991) of the International Academy of the History of Science
International Academy of the History of Science
The International Academy of the History of Science is a membership organization for historians of science. It was founded on 17 August 1928 at the Congress of Historical Science by Aldo Mieli, Abel Rey, George Sarton, Henry E...
. and an elected foreign member (2001) of German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
Dauben delivered an invited lecture at the 1998 International Congress of Mathematicians
International Congress of Mathematicians
The International Congress of Mathematicians is the largest conference for the topic of mathematics. It meets once every four years, hosted by the International Mathematical Union ....
in Berlin on Karl Marx's mathematical work
Mathematical manuscripts of Karl Marx
The Mathematical manuscripts of Karl Marx consist mostly of Karl Marx's attempts to understand the foundations of infinitesimal calculus, from around 1873–1883. A Russian edition edited by Sofya Yanovskaya was eventually published in 1968, and an English translation was published in...
.
In 2002 Dauben became an honorary member of the Institute for History of Natural Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica, is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered in Beijing, with institutes all over the People's Republic of China...
.
In 1985-1994 Dauben served as the Chair of the Executive Committee of the International Commission on History of Mathematics.
Publications
- Abraham RobinsonAbraham RobinsonAbraham Robinson was a mathematician who is most widely known for development of non-standard analysis, a mathematically rigorous system whereby infinitesimal and infinite numbers were incorporated into mathematics....
, The Creation of Nonstandard Analysis: A Personal and Mathematical Odyssey (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1995). - George Cantor, His Mathematics and Philosophy of the Infinite (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1979; rep. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1989).
Articles, reviews, and essays
- Suan shu shu. A book on numbers and computations. Translated from the Chinese and with commentary by Joseph W. Dauben. Arch. Hist. Exact Sci. 62 (2008), no. 2, 91--178.
- "La Matematica," in W. Shea ed., Storia delle Scienze. LeScienze Fisiche e Astronomiche (Milano: Banca Populare di Milan, 1991, and Einaudi, 1992) pp. 258-280
- "Are There Revolutions in Mathematics?" in The Space of Mathematics (eds. J. Echieverria, A. Ibarra and T. Mormann) (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1992), pp. 203-226.
- "Conceptual Revolutions and the History of Mathematics: Two Studies in the Growth of Knowledge," Chapter 4 of D. GilliesDonald A. GilliesDonald A. Gillies is a British philosopher and historian of science and mathematics. He is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Science and Technology Studies at University College, London.-Career:...
, ed., Revolutions in Mathematics (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1992), pp. 49-7l. - "Revolutions Revisited," Chapter 5 of D. Gillies, ed., Revolutions in MathematicsRevolutions in MathematicsRevolutions in Mathematics is an influential collection of essays in the history and philosophy of mathematics.-Contents:*Michael J. Crowe, Ten "laws" concerning patterns of change in the history of mathematics ;*Herbert Mehrtens, T. S...
(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1992), Pp. 72-82. - Abraham Robinson and Nonstandard Analysis: History, Philosophy, and Foundations of Mathematics. In William Aspray and Philip Kitcher, eds. History and philosophy of modern mathematics (Minneapolis, MN, 1985), 177--200, Minnesota Stud. Philos. Sci., XI, Univ. Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN, 1988. Online here.