The Perfect Eye: the Influence of a Presupposition from Kepler to Helmholtz
Optical instrumentation, as a modern technology, was born with the invention of the telescope and microscope and the geometrical theory of image formation. The development of optical instrumentation has been closely linked to ideas about the optical functioning of the human eye, including the old bu...
| Autores: | , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión aceptada para publicación |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2023 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) |
| Repositorio: | DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:digital.csic.es:10261/356076 |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/356076 https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85186524719 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Hermann von Helmholtz (1821–1894) Human eye Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) Leonhard Euler (1707–1783) Optical instruments |
| Sumario: | Optical instrumentation, as a modern technology, was born with the invention of the telescope and microscope and the geometrical theory of image formation. The development of optical instrumentation has been closely linked to ideas about the optical functioning of the human eye, including the old but questionable metaphysical idea that the eye is a perfect optical system. We analyse how this notion shaped the research paths followed by some of the most important contributors of optical instrumentation, from Kepler (1571–1630) to Helmholtz (1821–1894). It is shown that this idea influenced crucial aspects of scientific practice such as the definition of scientific purposes, ways of arguing and reasoning, and the establishment of new hypotheses. It even inspired the design and development of new optical instruments. During the 19th century, the presupposition of the eye as a perfect optical instrument lost popularity due to better knowledge of the anatomy of the human eye and its optical properties, and the growing influence of Darwin’s (1809–1882) theory of natural selection. |
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