Discovery of a World in the Moone

by John Wilkins

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

229 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1638

About the author

John Wilkins FRS (14 February 1614 – 19 November 1672) was an Anglican clergyman, natural philosopher and author, and was one of the founders of the Royal Society. He was Bishop of Chester from 1668 until his death.

Wilkins is one of the few persons to have headed a college at both the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. He was a polymath, although not one of the most important scientific innovators of the period. His personal qualities were brought out, and obvious to his contemporaries, in reducing political tension in Interregnum Oxford, in founding the Royal Society on non-partisan lines, and in efforts to reach out to religious nonconformists. He was one of the founders of the new natural theology compatible with the science of the time.

He is particularly known for An Essay towards a Real Character and a Philosophical Language (1668) in which, amongst other things, he proposed a universal language and a decimal system of measures which was later developed to become the metric system.

Wilkins lived in a period of great political and religious controversy, yet managed to remain on working terms with men of all political stripes; he was key in setting the Church of England on the path toward comprehension for as many sects as possible, "and toleration for the rest." Gilbert Burnet called him "the wisest clergyman I ever knew. He was a lover of mankind, and had a delight in doing good."

His stepdaughter married John Tillotson, who became Archbishop of Canterbury.

Reviews

[Jake Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wilkins is wonderfully imaginative, and it's fun to see what scientific arguments were in 1638 (eg: assuring readers that the propositions don't contradict scripture).

"So, perhaps, there may be some other means invented for a conveyance to the Moon [...] True indeed, I cannot conceive any possible means for the like discovery of this conjecture, since there can be no sailing to the Moon [...] However, I doubt not but that time who is still the father of new truths, and hath revealed unto us many things with our ancestors were ignorant of, will also manifest to our posterity that which we now desire but cannot know."

[Michael]

fascinating review of what it took to publish a sci-fi book in the 17th century.

[Cobertizo · Rating 3 out of 5]

"O, si tenemos necesidad de alimentarnos con algo más, ¿por qué no pueden sustentarnos los olores?. Plutarco, Plino y otros antiguos nos hablan de un pueblo en la India que vivía sólo a base de agradables aromas. Y es opinión general entre los médicos que los olores consiguen sorprendentemente fortalecer y restablecer los ánimos. Ésa es la razón por la que Demócrito era capaz, durante varios días seguidos, de alimentarse con el mero olor del pan caliente.
O, si es necesario que nuestros estómagos reciban la comida, ¿por qué entonces no va a ser posible que la pureza del aire etéreo, al no estar mezclado con ningún vapor inadecuado, pueda ser tan placentero para nuestros cuerpos como para proporcionarnos suficiente alimento?"

El descubrimiento de un nuevo mundo en la luna (1638). John Wilkins

[Qawiiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

cool moon stuff. on another note, could someone PLS write my dissertation for me, I can't TAKE this anymore 😭

[Quinn Monette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't have to go this hard