First published in 1992. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Herbert Spencer was regarded by the Victorians as the foremost philosopher of the age, the prophet of evolution at a time when the idea had gripped the popular imagination. His ambition was to construct a Synthetic Philosophy which unified all knowledge by demonstrating evolution to be at work throughout the universe from the nebulae to human society. In so doing he made important contributions to biology, psychology, sociology, and philosophy, and his writ ran from the intellectual elite - Darwin called him our great philosopher - through the professional classes to the working men whom...

Thomas Paine was an influential revolutionary pamphleteer, whose writings were instrumental in bringing about some significant political changes. His mastery of language was rivalled only by Swift and Cobbett. British-born, he emigrated to America in 1775 where his pamphlet Common Sense (1776) was directly responsible for the coming about of American independence. The Rights of Man, published in 1791 became the founding text of the British working class movement. As part of his argument for man's natural rights Paine anticipated the Welfare State, arguing as early as 1797 for poor relief,...

Veblen is probably one of the most important social philosophers that the United States has yet produced. A fierce and compelling critic of mainstream economic theory and its fundamental assumptions, he constructed an evolutionary history of mankind from primitive times to the machine age. Darwinian notions of evolution pervade Veblen's thought, originating in his view that economic thinking lags hopelessly behind the ever-changing realities of social life. Within this grand design, Veblen also produced many insights into human behaviour including the idea that conspicuous consumption -...

This collection brings together major writings by Hobbes in English, including translations of some of his Latin works.

A leading figure in 20th-century non-commutative algebra, S.A. Amitsur's contributions are wide-ranging and enduring. This volume collects almost all of his work. The papers are organized into broad topic areas: general ring theory, rings satisfying a polynomial identity, combinatorial polynomial identity theory, and division algebras. Included are essays by the editors on Amitsur's work in these four areas and a biography of Amitsur written by A. Mann.

Containing four parts such as Analytic Geometry, Algebraic Geometry, Variations of Hodge Structures, and Differential Systems that are organized according to the subject matter, this title provides the reader with a panoramic view of important and exciting mathematics during the second half of the 20th century.

The field of differential topology underwent a dramatic development period between 1955 and 1965. This collection of articles contains original papers and expository lectures. It includes commentary by the author, filling in some of the historical context,

Includes essays that are grouped in three parts: Mathematics; Mathematics and Physics; and, Language, Consciousness, and Book reviews. This book is suitable for those interested in the philosophy and history of mathematics, physics, and linguistics.

Eugene Dynkin is a rare example of a contemporary mathematician who has achieved results in two quite different areas of research: algebra and probability. In both areas, his ideas constitute an essential part of modern mathematical knowledge and form a basis for further development. Although his last work in algebra was published in 1955, his contributions continue to influence current research in algebra and in the physics of elementary particles. His work in probability is part of both the historical and the modern development of the topic.