An Introduction to the Theory of Optics
Arthur Schuster
Paperback
(Forgotten Books, June 11, 2012)
Optics in the sense that the elastic solid theory was accepted fifty years ago. We have abandoned that theory, and learned that the undulations of light are electromagnetic waves differing only in linear dimensions from the disturbances which are generated by oscillating electric currents or moving magnets. But so long as the character of the displacements which constitute the waves remains undefined we cannot pretend to have established a theory of light. This limitation of our knowledge, which in one sense is a retrogression from the philosophic standpoint of the founders of the undulatory theory, is not always sufficiently recognized and sometimes deliberately ignored. Those who believe in the possibility of a mechanical conception of the universe and are not willing to abandon the methods which from the time of Galileo and Newton have uniformly and exclusively led to success, must look with the gravest concern on a growing school of scientific thought which rests content with equations correctly representing numerical relationships between different phenomena, even though no precise meaning can be attached to the symbols used. The fact that this evasive school of philosophy has received some countenance from the writings of Heinrich Hertz renders it all the more necessary that it should be treated seriously and resisted strenuously.(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)About the Publisher Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the aged text.