Megan Perigoe Stitt
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198184423
- eISBN:
- 9780191674242
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198184423.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, 19th-century and Victorian Literature
From the beginning of the 19th century, the emerging study of language shared with geology certain metaphors — co-existing but mutually incompatible — to describe theories of change. The Tower of ...
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From the beginning of the 19th century, the emerging study of language shared with geology certain metaphors — co-existing but mutually incompatible — to describe theories of change. The Tower of Babel, Rise and Fall, Line and Branch were ideas that fed both disciplines; and linguistic study sometimes drew its imagery directly from geology, comparing varieties of language to fossils marking layers of development. At the same time, tension arose between the concept of language as a fixed sign and the wish to endorse it as a tool for change, an unpredictable maker of history. This book looks in detail at three authors — Walter Scott, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Charles Kingsley — whose handling of language, and in particular of dialect speech, demonstrates different angles of approach, and puts fiction into dialogue with science. Through textual analysis of the novels, and examination of contemporary scientific discourse, the book throws light on how different genres affected the century's use of metaphor and its often contradictory theories of progress.Less
From the beginning of the 19th century, the emerging study of language shared with geology certain metaphors — co-existing but mutually incompatible — to describe theories of change. The Tower of Babel, Rise and Fall, Line and Branch were ideas that fed both disciplines; and linguistic study sometimes drew its imagery directly from geology, comparing varieties of language to fossils marking layers of development. At the same time, tension arose between the concept of language as a fixed sign and the wish to endorse it as a tool for change, an unpredictable maker of history. This book looks in detail at three authors — Walter Scott, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Charles Kingsley — whose handling of language, and in particular of dialect speech, demonstrates different angles of approach, and puts fiction into dialogue with science. Through textual analysis of the novels, and examination of contemporary scientific discourse, the book throws light on how different genres affected the century's use of metaphor and its often contradictory theories of progress.
Toby Tyrrell
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691121581
- eISBN:
- 9781400847914
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691121581.001.0001
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
One of the enduring questions about our planet is how it has remained continuously habitable over vast stretches of geological time despite the fact that its atmosphere and climate are potentially ...
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One of the enduring questions about our planet is how it has remained continuously habitable over vast stretches of geological time despite the fact that its atmosphere and climate are potentially unstable. James Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis posits that life itself has intervened in the regulation of the planetary environment in order to keep it stable and favorable for life. First proposed in the 1970s, Lovelock's hypothesis remains highly controversial and continues to provoke fierce debate. This book undertakes the first in-depth investigation of the arguments put forward by Lovelock and others—and concludes that the evidence doesn't stack up in support of Gaia. The book draws on the latest findings in fields as diverse as climate science, oceanography, atmospheric science, geology, ecology, and evolutionary biology. The book takes readers to obscure corners of the natural world, from southern Africa where ancient rocks reveal that icebergs were once present near the equator, to mimics of cleaner fish on Indonesian reefs, to blind fish deep in Mexican caves. It weaves these and many other intriguing observations into a comprehensive analysis of the major assertions and lines of argument underpinning Gaia, and finds that it is not a credible picture of how life and Earth interact. The book reflects on the scientific evidence indicating that life and environment mutually affect each other, and proposes that feedbacks on Earth do not provide robust protection against the environment becoming uninhabitable—or against poor stewardship by us.Less
One of the enduring questions about our planet is how it has remained continuously habitable over vast stretches of geological time despite the fact that its atmosphere and climate are potentially unstable. James Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis posits that life itself has intervened in the regulation of the planetary environment in order to keep it stable and favorable for life. First proposed in the 1970s, Lovelock's hypothesis remains highly controversial and continues to provoke fierce debate. This book undertakes the first in-depth investigation of the arguments put forward by Lovelock and others—and concludes that the evidence doesn't stack up in support of Gaia. The book draws on the latest findings in fields as diverse as climate science, oceanography, atmospheric science, geology, ecology, and evolutionary biology. The book takes readers to obscure corners of the natural world, from southern Africa where ancient rocks reveal that icebergs were once present near the equator, to mimics of cleaner fish on Indonesian reefs, to blind fish deep in Mexican caves. It weaves these and many other intriguing observations into a comprehensive analysis of the major assertions and lines of argument underpinning Gaia, and finds that it is not a credible picture of how life and Earth interact. The book reflects on the scientific evidence indicating that life and environment mutually affect each other, and proposes that feedbacks on Earth do not provide robust protection against the environment becoming uninhabitable—or against poor stewardship by us.
Reinhard Pienitz, Peter T. Doran, and Scott F. Lamoureux
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199213887
- eISBN:
- 9780191707506
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199213887.003.0002
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology, Aquatic Biology
A characteristic and often dominant feature of many polar landscapes is the great diversity and abundance of their standing waters especially in the Arctic. By comparison, Antarctica has ...
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A characteristic and often dominant feature of many polar landscapes is the great diversity and abundance of their standing waters especially in the Arctic. By comparison, Antarctica has comparatively little surface water, although notable large and often saline lakes exist in the oasis areas and alongside many glaciers, whereas coastal ponds and lakes are abundant in the maritime and peripheral Antarctic regions. This chapter provides an introduction to the different origins, distinguishing features, and landscape controls that result in an extraordinary diversity of lakes and ponds in both polar regions. The main emphasis is on the description of the geological and geomorphological processes involved in the formation and modification (natural change) of these high latitude lake ecosystems. The review draws on examples from both polar regions to emphasize the differences and similarities that exist between lake ecosystems of the two hemispheres.Less
A characteristic and often dominant feature of many polar landscapes is the great diversity and abundance of their standing waters especially in the Arctic. By comparison, Antarctica has comparatively little surface water, although notable large and often saline lakes exist in the oasis areas and alongside many glaciers, whereas coastal ponds and lakes are abundant in the maritime and peripheral Antarctic regions. This chapter provides an introduction to the different origins, distinguishing features, and landscape controls that result in an extraordinary diversity of lakes and ponds in both polar regions. The main emphasis is on the description of the geological and geomorphological processes involved in the formation and modification (natural change) of these high latitude lake ecosystems. The review draws on examples from both polar regions to emphasize the differences and similarities that exist between lake ecosystems of the two hemispheres.
Alfred Michael Hirt
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199572878
- eISBN:
- 9780191721885
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199572878.003.0002
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter discusses the geology and topography of marble outcrops and ore deposits which very much dictates the technology employed and the scale of extractive operations. These restrictions ...
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This chapter discusses the geology and topography of marble outcrops and ore deposits which very much dictates the technology employed and the scale of extractive operations. These restrictions significantly influence the organizational structures and, together with the geographical location, determine the organizational challenges faced by the heads of these extractive operations. Moreover, the geology and topography of a mining or quarrying district also determine the spatial arrangement of operative (work procedures) and directive processes (planning and controlling of assets and goals, direction of human resources etc.). This is exemplified by the topographical layout of building structures, transport facilities, and extractive locations, or rather: their archaeological remains, within imperial districts such as the quarries in the Eastern Egyptian Desert or in mining areas such as Dolaucothi or Roflia Montan∏.Less
This chapter discusses the geology and topography of marble outcrops and ore deposits which very much dictates the technology employed and the scale of extractive operations. These restrictions significantly influence the organizational structures and, together with the geographical location, determine the organizational challenges faced by the heads of these extractive operations. Moreover, the geology and topography of a mining or quarrying district also determine the spatial arrangement of operative (work procedures) and directive processes (planning and controlling of assets and goals, direction of human resources etc.). This is exemplified by the topographical layout of building structures, transport facilities, and extractive locations, or rather: their archaeological remains, within imperial districts such as the quarries in the Eastern Egyptian Desert or in mining areas such as Dolaucothi or Roflia Montan∏.
Ken Gregory
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197262863
- eISBN:
- 9780191734076
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197262863.003.0004
- Subject:
- Sociology, Population and Demography
The evolution of physical geography in Britain over the last 100 years cannot be divorced from developments elsewhere, and by the year 2000 it had become increasingly difficult to distinguish ...
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The evolution of physical geography in Britain over the last 100 years cannot be divorced from developments elsewhere, and by the year 2000 it had become increasingly difficult to distinguish physical geography from other disciplines. Some periods have shown a net gain, during which British physical geography assimilated and responded to trends developed elsewhere, whereas in others British trends provided a lead (especially reflecting the inspiration given by particular individuals) that has been perceived to be internationally influential. Whereas nineteenth-century geography was more holistic in character, it is ironic that for much of the twentieth century it became increasingly reductionist, with the development of many separate sub-fields succeeded by trends, very evident at the millennium, of a discipline seeking holism again — clearly linking with environmental science. The foundations of twentieth-century British physical geography included a major component derived from geology.Less
The evolution of physical geography in Britain over the last 100 years cannot be divorced from developments elsewhere, and by the year 2000 it had become increasingly difficult to distinguish physical geography from other disciplines. Some periods have shown a net gain, during which British physical geography assimilated and responded to trends developed elsewhere, whereas in others British trends provided a lead (especially reflecting the inspiration given by particular individuals) that has been perceived to be internationally influential. Whereas nineteenth-century geography was more holistic in character, it is ironic that for much of the twentieth century it became increasingly reductionist, with the development of many separate sub-fields succeeded by trends, very evident at the millennium, of a discipline seeking holism again — clearly linking with environmental science. The foundations of twentieth-century British physical geography included a major component derived from geology.
Francis Watson
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195383355
- eISBN:
- 9780199870561
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195383355.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, History of Christianity
It is commonly assumed that "Darwin" represents the triumph of scientific rationality over scripture and superstition—an assumption combining ignorance of history with a philosophically naïve account ...
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It is commonly assumed that "Darwin" represents the triumph of scientific rationality over scripture and superstition—an assumption combining ignorance of history with a philosophically naïve account of "truth." Before the seventeenth century, it was widely accepted that biblical interpretation and natural philosophy should each articulate the truth about the world in its own way, without the unnatural conflation or harmonizing of their respective stories into a single framework. The harmonistic model arose in the context of geological investigation, which initially appealed to the Genesis creation and flood narratives to interpret the fossil record and later sought to adapt the scriptural narratives to the modern geological discovery that the world is much older than previously thought. In all of this, scriptural narrative is removed from its natural habitat and forced to serve interests quite alien to it. The significance of Darwin is that, in developing his distinctive biological theories, he did not seek to coordinate them with scripture—thereby liberating scripture from science, and science from its own misuse of scripture.Less
It is commonly assumed that "Darwin" represents the triumph of scientific rationality over scripture and superstition—an assumption combining ignorance of history with a philosophically naïve account of "truth." Before the seventeenth century, it was widely accepted that biblical interpretation and natural philosophy should each articulate the truth about the world in its own way, without the unnatural conflation or harmonizing of their respective stories into a single framework. The harmonistic model arose in the context of geological investigation, which initially appealed to the Genesis creation and flood narratives to interpret the fossil record and later sought to adapt the scriptural narratives to the modern geological discovery that the world is much older than previously thought. In all of this, scriptural narrative is removed from its natural habitat and forced to serve interests quite alien to it. The significance of Darwin is that, in developing his distinctive biological theories, he did not seek to coordinate them with scripture—thereby liberating scripture from science, and science from its own misuse of scripture.
John Rogerson
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195383355
- eISBN:
- 9780199870561
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195383355.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, History of Christianity
Darwin's On the Origin of Species made much less of an impact on the interpretation of Genesis than might have been expected. This was largely because geological discoveries and their implications ...
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Darwin's On the Origin of Species made much less of an impact on the interpretation of Genesis than might have been expected. This was largely because geological discoveries and their implications for the age of the world, the antiquity of the human race, and the biblical story of a universal flood preoccupied biblical scholars for much of the nineteenth century, from the 1820s to the end of the century. This chapter illustrates the diversity of the interpretations of Genesis during this period, one in which even the defenders of the accuracy of Genesis against science were by no means agreed on how to handle the biblical material.Less
Darwin's On the Origin of Species made much less of an impact on the interpretation of Genesis than might have been expected. This was largely because geological discoveries and their implications for the age of the world, the antiquity of the human race, and the biblical story of a universal flood preoccupied biblical scholars for much of the nineteenth century, from the 1820s to the end of the century. This chapter illustrates the diversity of the interpretations of Genesis during this period, one in which even the defenders of the accuracy of Genesis against science were by no means agreed on how to handle the biblical material.
John Hedley Brooke
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195383355
- eISBN:
- 9780199870561
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195383355.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, History of Christianity
This chapter examines attempts made to harmonize the creation narratives with geology before the impact of Darwinism. Despite a vastly greater age for the earth and the problem of extinction, ...
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This chapter examines attempts made to harmonize the creation narratives with geology before the impact of Darwinism. Despite a vastly greater age for the earth and the problem of extinction, harmonization of the science with both revealed and natural theology was initially possible. By the time Darwin published in 1859, however, the harmonization program had largely defeated itself because of discord among the harmonizers. The chapter emphasizes the divisiveness (rather than an inherent destructiveness) of new sciences, with particular reference to the additional problems for theology arising from the deism and agnosticism that often accompanied Darwinian understandings of design in nature and its laws. The chapter ends with a brief survey of new understandings of revelation, which give Christian thinkers alternative spaces in which to accommodate theories of evolution.Less
This chapter examines attempts made to harmonize the creation narratives with geology before the impact of Darwinism. Despite a vastly greater age for the earth and the problem of extinction, harmonization of the science with both revealed and natural theology was initially possible. By the time Darwin published in 1859, however, the harmonization program had largely defeated itself because of discord among the harmonizers. The chapter emphasizes the divisiveness (rather than an inherent destructiveness) of new sciences, with particular reference to the additional problems for theology arising from the deism and agnosticism that often accompanied Darwinian understandings of design in nature and its laws. The chapter ends with a brief survey of new understandings of revelation, which give Christian thinkers alternative spaces in which to accommodate theories of evolution.
Mary Orr
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199258581
- eISBN:
- 9780191718083
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199258581.003.0006
- Subject:
- Literature, World Literature, 19th-century and Victorian Literature
The crucial defamiliarization of 19th‐century French science set up via the Alexandrian Schools in Part Two allows Hilarion to return as intermediary/antagonist once more, this time as ...
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The crucial defamiliarization of 19th‐century French science set up via the Alexandrian Schools in Part Two allows Hilarion to return as intermediary/antagonist once more, this time as commentator‐double of Étienne Geoffroy Saint‐Hilaire as Starr has argued. This chapter however fills crucial gaps in Starr's arguments by elucidating previously unacknowledged 19th‐century intertexts and their importance for tableau five. Its parades of Nature gods (from India to the more familiar Rome and Gaul) turn myth language into 19th‐century scientific ‘story‐telling’ in deep time—geology and palaeontology—to describe creation. Saint‐Hilaire's growing discord with Cuvier is set in place for tableau seven and provides a solution for the knotty problem of Hilarion's departure and the arrival of the Devil (incredibly as Science) at the end of the tableau.Less
The crucial defamiliarization of 19th‐century French science set up via the Alexandrian Schools in Part Two allows Hilarion to return as intermediary/antagonist once more, this time as commentator‐double of Étienne Geoffroy Saint‐Hilaire as Starr has argued. This chapter however fills crucial gaps in Starr's arguments by elucidating previously unacknowledged 19th‐century intertexts and their importance for tableau five. Its parades of Nature gods (from India to the more familiar Rome and Gaul) turn myth language into 19th‐century scientific ‘story‐telling’ in deep time—geology and palaeontology—to describe creation. Saint‐Hilaire's growing discord with Cuvier is set in place for tableau seven and provides a solution for the knotty problem of Hilarion's departure and the arrival of the Devil (incredibly as Science) at the end of the tableau.
James K. Hoffmeier
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- July 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195155464
- eISBN:
- 9780199835652
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/0195155467.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
The Hebrew terminology is reviewed in an effort to determine the origin of the biblical words Sinai and Horeb. An attempt is made to identify the ancient Egyptian name for Sinai; it is probably bi3. ...
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The Hebrew terminology is reviewed in an effort to determine the origin of the biblical words Sinai and Horeb. An attempt is made to identify the ancient Egyptian name for Sinai; it is probably bi3. The physical geography of the Sinai Peninsula is examined to gain an appreciation for how the biblical narratives portray life in the wilderness. There are three geographical divisions to Sinai whose differences were caused by the three geological zones, and the environment of the different regions are discussed.Less
The Hebrew terminology is reviewed in an effort to determine the origin of the biblical words Sinai and Horeb. An attempt is made to identify the ancient Egyptian name for Sinai; it is probably bi3. The physical geography of the Sinai Peninsula is examined to gain an appreciation for how the biblical narratives portray life in the wilderness. There are three geographical divisions to Sinai whose differences were caused by the three geological zones, and the environment of the different regions are discussed.
Michel Laurin
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520266476
- eISBN:
- 9780520947986
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520266476.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
More than three hundred million years ago—a relatively recent date in the two billion years since life first appeared—vertebrate animals first ventured onto land. This illustrated book describes how ...
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More than three hundred million years ago—a relatively recent date in the two billion years since life first appeared—vertebrate animals first ventured onto land. This illustrated book describes how some finned vertebrates acquired limbs, giving rise to more than 25,000 extant tetrapod species. The author uses paleontological, geological, physiological, and comparative anatomical data to describe this monumental event. He summarizes key concepts of modern paleontological research, including biological nomenclature, paleontological and molecular dating, and the methods used to infer phylogeny and character evolution. Along with a discussion of the evolutionary pressures that may have led vertebrates onto dry land, the book also shows how extant vertebrates yield clues about the conquest of land and how scientists uncover evolutionary history.Less
More than three hundred million years ago—a relatively recent date in the two billion years since life first appeared—vertebrate animals first ventured onto land. This illustrated book describes how some finned vertebrates acquired limbs, giving rise to more than 25,000 extant tetrapod species. The author uses paleontological, geological, physiological, and comparative anatomical data to describe this monumental event. He summarizes key concepts of modern paleontological research, including biological nomenclature, paleontological and molecular dating, and the methods used to infer phylogeny and character evolution. Along with a discussion of the evolutionary pressures that may have led vertebrates onto dry land, the book also shows how extant vertebrates yield clues about the conquest of land and how scientists uncover evolutionary history.
Molly Oshatz
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199751686
- eISBN:
- 9780199918799
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199751686.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
Chapter 5 maintains that the slavery debates led antislavery moderates to historicize the faith. After exploring the various roots of historicism in antebellum religious thought and the failures of ...
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Chapter 5 maintains that the slavery debates led antislavery moderates to historicize the faith. After exploring the various roots of historicism in antebellum religious thought and the failures of the antebellum biblical controversies involving geology and temperance to generate historical reasoning, the fifth chapter examines the antislavery theology of E. P. Barrows, Horace Bushnell, and Samuel Harris. This chapter ends with an account of the impact of the Civil War on the development of American theology.Less
Chapter 5 maintains that the slavery debates led antislavery moderates to historicize the faith. After exploring the various roots of historicism in antebellum religious thought and the failures of the antebellum biblical controversies involving geology and temperance to generate historical reasoning, the fifth chapter examines the antislavery theology of E. P. Barrows, Horace Bushnell, and Samuel Harris. This chapter ends with an account of the impact of the Civil War on the development of American theology.
Dennis Taylor
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198122616
- eISBN:
- 9780191671494
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198122616.003.0006
- Subject:
- Literature, 19th-century and Victorian Literature
This chapter dismisses those poems where Hardy dramatizes a language in search of its lost origins. For Hardy, origins are real but irrecoverable. The use of old words alone does not explain Hardy's ...
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This chapter dismisses those poems where Hardy dramatizes a language in search of its lost origins. For Hardy, origins are real but irrecoverable. The use of old words alone does not explain Hardy's literary language. Hardy's literary language is a deliberately heterogeneous assortment of words from many layers of historical usage, and reflects one of the most interesting comparisons of the Victorian period: that of the strata of the mind to geological strata. Hardy makes a uniquely personal use of this comparison in his poetry. His language represents a body of language in many stages of evolution and layered into many classes. Drawing on images from geology and other disciplines, Hardy portrays the body of language as a vast structure of overlapping fragments, some ancient, some recently formed, interconnected in obscure ways and rooted in an obscure past, undergoing hidden transformation and channeling consciousness.Less
This chapter dismisses those poems where Hardy dramatizes a language in search of its lost origins. For Hardy, origins are real but irrecoverable. The use of old words alone does not explain Hardy's literary language. Hardy's literary language is a deliberately heterogeneous assortment of words from many layers of historical usage, and reflects one of the most interesting comparisons of the Victorian period: that of the strata of the mind to geological strata. Hardy makes a uniquely personal use of this comparison in his poetry. His language represents a body of language in many stages of evolution and layered into many classes. Drawing on images from geology and other disciplines, Hardy portrays the body of language as a vast structure of overlapping fragments, some ancient, some recently formed, interconnected in obscure ways and rooted in an obscure past, undergoing hidden transformation and channeling consciousness.
Vybarr Cregan-Reid
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780719090516
- eISBN:
- 9781781706466
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719090516.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
In 1872, a young archaeologist at the British Museum made a tremendous discovery. While he was working his way through a Mesopotamian ‘slush pile’, George Smith, a self-taught expert in ancient ...
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In 1872, a young archaeologist at the British Museum made a tremendous discovery. While he was working his way through a Mesopotamian ‘slush pile’, George Smith, a self-taught expert in ancient languages, happened upon a Babylonian version of Noah’s Flood. His research suggested this ‘Deluge Tablet’ pre-dated the writing of Genesis by a millennium or more. Smith went on to translate what later became The Epic of Gilgamesh, perhaps the oldest and most complete work of literature from any culture. Against the backdrop of innovative readings of a range of paintings, novels, histories and photographs (by figures like Dickens, Eliot, James, Dyce, Turner, Macaulay and Carlyle), this book demonstrates the Gordian complexity of the Victorians’ relationship with history, while also seeking to highlight the Epic’s role in influencing models of time in late-Victorian geology. Discovering Gilgamesh will be of interest to readers, students and researchers in literary studies, Victorian studies, history, intellectual history, art history and archaeology.Less
In 1872, a young archaeologist at the British Museum made a tremendous discovery. While he was working his way through a Mesopotamian ‘slush pile’, George Smith, a self-taught expert in ancient languages, happened upon a Babylonian version of Noah’s Flood. His research suggested this ‘Deluge Tablet’ pre-dated the writing of Genesis by a millennium or more. Smith went on to translate what later became The Epic of Gilgamesh, perhaps the oldest and most complete work of literature from any culture. Against the backdrop of innovative readings of a range of paintings, novels, histories and photographs (by figures like Dickens, Eliot, James, Dyce, Turner, Macaulay and Carlyle), this book demonstrates the Gordian complexity of the Victorians’ relationship with history, while also seeking to highlight the Epic’s role in influencing models of time in late-Victorian geology. Discovering Gilgamesh will be of interest to readers, students and researchers in literary studies, Victorian studies, history, intellectual history, art history and archaeology.
Adelene Buckland
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226079684
- eISBN:
- 9780226923635
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226923635.003.0009
- Subject:
- Literature, 19th-century and Victorian Literature
This chapter explains the discoveries and the stories that this book has sought to explore. The story of the “heroic age of geology” has been examined, focusing on the variety of methodological and ...
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This chapter explains the discoveries and the stories that this book has sought to explore. The story of the “heroic age of geology” has been examined, focusing on the variety of methodological and practical positions taken by the gentleman geologists of the Geological Society as they eschewed the self-determining forms of fictional “plots” in their contemplations of earth history. The chapter explains in brief how the book has portrayed the story about the uses of geological forms by novelists as they made attempts at establishing intellectual authority of their writings. From the geological fictions of Charles Kingsley, to George Eliot, to Charles Dickens, the novels show the possibility that history is not a story, but a structure. For Charles Kingsley and George Eliot, geology created for them a useful form of narrative breakdown. Their vision of the earth's formation brought forth their formulation of the novel's creation.Less
This chapter explains the discoveries and the stories that this book has sought to explore. The story of the “heroic age of geology” has been examined, focusing on the variety of methodological and practical positions taken by the gentleman geologists of the Geological Society as they eschewed the self-determining forms of fictional “plots” in their contemplations of earth history. The chapter explains in brief how the book has portrayed the story about the uses of geological forms by novelists as they made attempts at establishing intellectual authority of their writings. From the geological fictions of Charles Kingsley, to George Eliot, to Charles Dickens, the novels show the possibility that history is not a story, but a structure. For Charles Kingsley and George Eliot, geology created for them a useful form of narrative breakdown. Their vision of the earth's formation brought forth their formulation of the novel's creation.
J. David Pleins
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199733637
- eISBN:
- 9780199852505
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199733637.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
When asked about what myths are, the first definition that would usually come to mind is that myths are stories that are aimed at explaining certain natural phenomena with a very unscientific point ...
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When asked about what myths are, the first definition that would usually come to mind is that myths are stories that are aimed at explaining certain natural phenomena with a very unscientific point of view. T. H. Huxley, an enthusiastic advocate of Darwinism, boldly took on the views of various religionists. Huxley's stern perspective was grounded on the following reasons: Huxley relied greatly on geology and evolutionary theory; Huxley categorized literature into those that are perfectly true, those that may be partially true, and those without any truth at all, and that he would only refer to the Bible for moral guidance; Huxley compared such stories with Near Eastern texts; and Huxley casted doubt on the Bible's authorship. While these views are presented, the chapter also looks into a study of the text's rhetoric that point out stylistic clues that may aid in understanding a different perspective of such stories.Less
When asked about what myths are, the first definition that would usually come to mind is that myths are stories that are aimed at explaining certain natural phenomena with a very unscientific point of view. T. H. Huxley, an enthusiastic advocate of Darwinism, boldly took on the views of various religionists. Huxley's stern perspective was grounded on the following reasons: Huxley relied greatly on geology and evolutionary theory; Huxley categorized literature into those that are perfectly true, those that may be partially true, and those without any truth at all, and that he would only refer to the Bible for moral guidance; Huxley compared such stories with Near Eastern texts; and Huxley casted doubt on the Bible's authorship. While these views are presented, the chapter also looks into a study of the text's rhetoric that point out stylistic clues that may aid in understanding a different perspective of such stories.
Jack Morrell
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198206576
- eISBN:
- 9780191677229
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198206576.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
This chapter examines the developments in the teaching of the so-called small sciences at Oxford University in England from 1914 to 1939. These small sciences include botany, zoology, geology, ...
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This chapter examines the developments in the teaching of the so-called small sciences at Oxford University in England from 1914 to 1939. These small sciences include botany, zoology, geology, mineralogy and crystallography, astronomy, history of science, and history of anthropology. These subjects were recognized by the university with a chair, a readership, and a curatorship but they existed almost totally outside the colleges. These subjects were not only peripheral to the colleges, they were small and attracted only a few undergraduates and in some cases regular teaching was not offered.Less
This chapter examines the developments in the teaching of the so-called small sciences at Oxford University in England from 1914 to 1939. These small sciences include botany, zoology, geology, mineralogy and crystallography, astronomy, history of science, and history of anthropology. These subjects were recognized by the university with a chair, a readership, and a curatorship but they existed almost totally outside the colleges. These subjects were not only peripheral to the colleges, they were small and attracted only a few undergraduates and in some cases regular teaching was not offered.
Paul C. Gutjahr
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199740420
- eISBN:
- 9780199894703
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199740420.003.0050
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
Chapter Fifty looks at Hodge and his family during the Civil War. As was true of most of the United States, Hodge had personal ties to the War. His fourth son, John, served for a time, and his ...
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Chapter Fifty looks at Hodge and his family during the Civil War. As was true of most of the United States, Hodge had personal ties to the War. His fourth son, John, served for a time, and his brother-in-law, General David Hunter, kept Hodge abreast of Washington politics and news of the War more generally. Hodge was depressed throughout much of the War, saddened by the loss of life and the loss of the Union itself. During the War, Archie and his family returned to the North to take up a pastorate in Wilkes-Barré, Pennsylvania, while Mary returned to Princeton with her family, where her husband died of consumption soon after their arrival.Less
Chapter Fifty looks at Hodge and his family during the Civil War. As was true of most of the United States, Hodge had personal ties to the War. His fourth son, John, served for a time, and his brother-in-law, General David Hunter, kept Hodge abreast of Washington politics and news of the War more generally. Hodge was depressed throughout much of the War, saddened by the loss of life and the loss of the Union itself. During the War, Archie and his family returned to the North to take up a pastorate in Wilkes-Barré, Pennsylvania, while Mary returned to Princeton with her family, where her husband died of consumption soon after their arrival.
Paul C. Gutjahr
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199740420
- eISBN:
- 9780199894703
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199740420.003.0056
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
Chapter fifty-six takes a close look at Hodge’s lifelong commitment and interest in science. As many as twenty percent of Repertory articles concerned themselves with science, and Hodge remained ...
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Chapter fifty-six takes a close look at Hodge’s lifelong commitment and interest in science. As many as twenty percent of Repertory articles concerned themselves with science, and Hodge remained committed throughout his life to seeing a close connection between scientific and religious inquiry. His last book, What is Darwinism?, functioned largely as a defense of the complementary nature of science and religion. Hodge believed Darwinism to be atheistic because it posited a theory of world development that had no place for a Divine Designer. Darwin’s theories implied a randomness that had no place in Hodge’s views of Divine Soveriegnty.Less
Chapter fifty-six takes a close look at Hodge’s lifelong commitment and interest in science. As many as twenty percent of Repertory articles concerned themselves with science, and Hodge remained committed throughout his life to seeing a close connection between scientific and religious inquiry. His last book, What is Darwinism?, functioned largely as a defense of the complementary nature of science and religion. Hodge believed Darwinism to be atheistic because it posited a theory of world development that had no place for a Divine Designer. Darwin’s theories implied a randomness that had no place in Hodge’s views of Divine Soveriegnty.
David Ward
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199211470
- eISBN:
- 9780191728143
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199211470.003.0002
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology
There are a number of abiotic factors that have important impacts on the desert environment. Clearly, the most important of these is rainfall or, in some cases, other sources of precipitation such as ...
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There are a number of abiotic factors that have important impacts on the desert environment. Clearly, the most important of these is rainfall or, in some cases, other sources of precipitation such as fog, snow, or ice. Deserts are defined by their low mean rainfall, although it is just as important to measure the temporal and spatial variability in annual rainfall. High run-off from desert slopes is another factor that leads to high spatial patchiness in some deserts. This chapter emphasizes the large differences among deserts in ambient temperature (and seasonality) and how these differences affect the organisms that live there. It considers geology, particularly in terms of the effects on soils, which in turn is important for plant life and animal life.Less
There are a number of abiotic factors that have important impacts on the desert environment. Clearly, the most important of these is rainfall or, in some cases, other sources of precipitation such as fog, snow, or ice. Deserts are defined by their low mean rainfall, although it is just as important to measure the temporal and spatial variability in annual rainfall. High run-off from desert slopes is another factor that leads to high spatial patchiness in some deserts. This chapter emphasizes the large differences among deserts in ambient temperature (and seasonality) and how these differences affect the organisms that live there. It considers geology, particularly in terms of the effects on soils, which in turn is important for plant life and animal life.
