The man who found time : James Hutton and the discovery of the Earth's antiquity

There are three men whose contributions helped free science from the straitjacket of theology. Two of the three - Nicolaus Copernicus and Charles Darwin - are widely known and heralded for their breakthroughs. The third, James Hutton, never received the same recognition, yet he profoundly changed our understanding of the earth and its dynamic forces. Hutton proved that the earth was likely millions of years old rather than the biblically determined six thousand, and that it was continuously being shaped and re-shaped by myriad everyday forces rather than one cataclysmic event. In this expertly crafted narrative, Jack Repcheck tells the remarkable story of this Scottish gentleman farmer and how his simple observations on his small tract of land led him to a theory that was in direct confrontation with the Bible and that also provided the scientific proof that would spark Darwin's theory of evolution. It is also the story of Scotland and the Scottish Enlightenment, which brought together some of the greatest thinkers of the age, from David Hume and Adam Smith to James Watt and Erasmus Darwin. Finally, it is a story about the power of the written word. Repcheck argues that Hutton's work was lost to history because he could not describe his findings in graceful and readable prose (unlike Darwin's Origin of the Species , Hutton's one and only book was impenetrable). A marvelous narrative about a little-known man and the science he founded, The Man Who Found Time is also a parable about the power of books to shape the history of ideas. "There are four men whose contributions helped free science from the straightjacket of theology. Three of the four - Nicholas Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, and Charles Darwin - are widely known and heralded for their breakthroughs. The fourth, James Hutton, has never received the same recognition, yet he profoundly changed our understanding of the earth and its dynamic forces. Hutton proved that the earth was likely millions of years old rather than the biblically determined six thousand, and that it was continuously being shaped and re-shaped by myriad everyday forces rather than just one cataclysmic event." "In this narrative, Jack Repcheck tells the remarkable story of this Scottish gentleman farmer, and how his simple observations on a small tract of land led him to a controversial - some would say heretical - theory. Yet it was Hutton's work that ultimately made Darwin's theory of evolution possible: Man simply could not have evolved from apes, or apes from more distant ancestors, in a mere six thousand years." "The Man Who Found Time is also the story of Scotland and the Scottish Enlightenment, which brought together some of the greatest thinkers of the age - from David Hume and Adam Smith to James Watt and Erasmus Darwin. Through an intricate network of informal salons and social clubs, these "natural philosophers" created a rich intellectual milieu that served as an incubator for Hutton's nascent ideas, helping transform them into a robust and coherent theory." "Finally, this is a story about the power of the written words. Jack Repcheck, himself a champion of books, argues that Hutton's work was almost lost to history because he was unable to describe his findings in graceful and readable prose: Unlike Darwin's Origin of the Species, Hutton's one and only book was impenetrable."--BOOK JACKET Contents......Page 8 Prologue......Page 10 1. Looking So Far Into the Abyss of Time......Page 22 2. First Came Adam and Eve, Then Came Cainand Abel.........Page 34 3. Auld Reekie......Page 54 4. The Storm Before the Calm......Page 76 5. Youthful Wanderings......Page 94 6. The Paradox of the Soil......Page 112 7. The Athens of the North......Page 126 8. The Eureka Moments......Page 154 9. Hutton's Boswell's......Page 172 10. The Huttonian Revolution......Page 188 Epilogue......Page 208 Appendix......Page 218 Sources and Suggested Readings......Page 226 Acknowledgments......Page 238 B......Page 244 D......Page 246 E......Page 247 G......Page 248 H......Page 249 J......Page 250 L......Page 251 N......Page 252 R......Page 253 S......Page 254 U......Page 255 Z......Page 256

There are three men whose life’s work helped free science from the strait-jacket of religion. Two of the three—Nicolaus Copernicus and Charles Darwin—are widely heralded for their breakthroughs. The third, James Hutton, is comparatively unknown, yet he profoundly changed our understanding of the earth, its age, and its dynamic forces.

A Scottish gentleman farmer, Hutton’s observations on his small tract of land led him to a theory that directly contradicted biblical claims that the Earth was only 6,000 years old. This expertly crafted narrative tells the story not only of Hutton, but also of Scotland and the Scottish Enlightenment, including many of the greatest thinkers of the age, such as David Hume and Adam Smith.

Follows The Story Of The Gentleman Farmer From Edinburgh Whose Observations About The Age Of The Planet Challenged Theological Beliefs, By Citing His Contributions To Proving Darwin's Theories. 1. Looking So Far Into The Abyss Of Time -- 2. First Came Adam And Eve, Then Came Cain And Abel ... -- 3. Auld Reekie -- 4. The Storm Before The Calm -- 5. Youthful Wanderings -- 6. The Paradox Of The Soil -- 7. The Athens Of The North -- 8. The Eureka Moments -- 9. Hutton's Boswell's -- 10. The Huttonian Revolution -- Appendix/definitions. Jack Repcheck. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 217-228) And Index. James Hutton proved that the earth was likely millions of years old, rather than the six thousand calculated by the bible, and that it was continuously shaped and re-shaped by myriad everyday forces rather than any single cataclysmic event. This book tells the remarkable story of this Scottish gentleman farmer. This book follows the story of the gentleman farmer from Edinburgh whose observations about the age of the planet challenged theological beliefs, by citing his contributions to proving Darwin's theories ON A SUNNY JUNE AFTERNOON IN 1788, three gentlemen from Edinburgh, along with several farmhands, boarded a boat on a desolate Scottish beach.