In this volume Pierre Duhem first gives an overview of 19th century electricity and magnetism.
Next he applies his keen historical philosophical and physical intuition to critiquing
Maxwell's theories especially his electromagnetic theory of light and the ad hoc introduction
of displacement current which he considers too much a product of the esprit de géométrie than
the esprit de finesse as Pascal calls it. In this book Duhem is guided by the principle that
a theory that offers contradictions even if the theory is posed by a genius needs to be
analysed and discussed until a clear distinction can be made between the propositions likely to
be logically demonstrated and statements that offend logic and which must be transformed or
rejected. Furthermore Duhem felt in criticizing such a theory one must guard against
narrowness of mind and petty corrections which would make one forget the merit of the inventor
and more importantly one must guard against the blind superstition which for admiration of
the author would hide the serious defects of the work. He is not so great a genius that he
surpasses the laws of reason. Pierre Duhem (1861-1916) chairman of theoretical physics at
Bordeaux in 1984-1916 is well-known for his works in the history and philosophy of science.
