Michael Polanyi: Scientist and Philosopher
William Taussig Scott and Martin X. Moleski
Abstract
Michael Polanyi (1891–1976) was born to a Viennese family living in Hungary. After obtaining a medical degree, he served in the Austro-Hungarian army in World War I, then chose Austrian citizenship in the aftermath of the war. While on sick leave, he wrote an article on the adsorption of gases that became the foundation for his doctoral research in physical chemistry at Karlsruhe in Germany. In his later work at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin and the University of Manchester in England, Polanyi also worked on crystallography and reaction kinetics. After fleeing to England from Nazi Ger ... More
Michael Polanyi (1891–1976) was born to a Viennese family living in Hungary. After obtaining a medical degree, he served in the Austro-Hungarian army in World War I, then chose Austrian citizenship in the aftermath of the war. While on sick leave, he wrote an article on the adsorption of gases that became the foundation for his doctoral research in physical chemistry at Karlsruhe in Germany. In his later work at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin and the University of Manchester in England, Polanyi also worked on crystallography and reaction kinetics. After fleeing to England from Nazi Germany, Polanyi gradually turned away from physical chemistry to studies in economics, social and political analysis, philosophy, theology, and aesthetics. The biography traces the development of Polanyi's theory of tacit, personal knowledge and shows how his scientific career shaped his philosophy of science and his view of religion in general and Christianity and Judaism in particular.
Keywords:
Michael Polanyi,
adsorption,
crystallography,
reaction kinetics,
physical chemistry,
economics,
philosophy of science,
theology,
tacit knowledge,
personal knowledge
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2005 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780195174335 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: July 2005 |
DOI:10.1093/019517433X.001.0001 |
Authors
Affiliations are at time of print publication.
William Taussig Scott, author
University of Nevada at Reno (deceased)
Martin X. Moleski, author
Canisius College
Author Webpage
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