The heroic theory of invention and scientific development is the view that the principal authors of
inventions and
scientific discoveries are unique
hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...
ic individuals—i.e., "great scientists" or "geniuses".
Competing hypothesis
A competing hypothesis (that of ''
multiple discovery
Multiple may refer to:
Economics
* Multiple finance, a method used to analyze stock prices
*Multiples of the price-to-earnings ratio
*Chain stores, are also referred to as 'Multiples'
*Box office multiple, the ratio of a film's total gross to th ...
'') is that most inventions and scientific discoveries are made independently and simultaneously by multiple inventors and scientists.
The multiple-discovery hypothesis may be most patently exemplified in the evolution of
mathematics, since mathematical knowledge is highly unified and any advances need, as a general rule, to be built from previously established results through a process of deduction. Thus, the development of
infinitesimal calculus into a systematic discipline did not occur until the development of
analytic geometry, the former being credited to both
Sir Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a " natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the g ...
and
Gottfried Leibniz
Gottfried Wilhelm (von) Leibniz . ( – 14 November 1716) was a German polymath active as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist and diplomat. He is one of the most prominent figures in both the history of philosophy and the history of mathem ...
, and the latter to both
René Descartes
René Descartes ( or ; ; Latinized: Renatus Cartesius; 31 March 1596 – 11 February 1650) was a French philosopher, scientist, and mathematician, widely considered a seminal figure in the emergence of modern philosophy and science. Ma ...
and
Pierre de Fermat
Pierre de Fermat (; between 31 October and 6 December 1607 – 12 January 1665) was a French mathematician who is given credit for early developments that led to infinitesimal calculus, including his technique of adequality. In particular, he ...
.
See also
*
Genius
Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for future works, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabili ...
*
Great man theory
*
Hive mind
*
List of multiple discoveries
Historians and sociologists have remarked upon the occurrence, in science, of " multiple independent discovery". Robert K. Merton defined such "multiples" as instances in which similar discoveries are made by scientists working independently of ea ...
*
Multiple discovery
Multiple may refer to:
Economics
* Multiple finance, a method used to analyze stock prices
*Multiples of the price-to-earnings ratio
*Chain stores, are also referred to as 'Multiples'
*Box office multiple, the ratio of a film's total gross to th ...
*
People known as the father or mother of something
*
Scientific priority In science, priority is the credit given to the individual or group of individuals who first made the discovery or propose the theory. Fame and honours usually go to the first person or group to publish a new finding, even if several researchers arr ...
*
Scientific theory
*
Discovery and invention controversies
Discovery may refer to:
* Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown
* Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown
* Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence
Discovery, The Discovery ...
References
Further reading
* Epstein, Ralph C. 1926. "Industrial Invention: Heroic, or Systematic?" ''
The Quarterly Journal of Economics
''The Quarterly Journal of Economics'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Oxford University Press for the Harvard University Department of Economics. Its current editors-in-chief are Robert J. Barro, Lawrence F. Katz, Nathan N ...
'' 40(2):232–72. . .
*
Johansson, Frans. 2004.
''The Medici Effect: What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us About Innovation''. US:
Harvard Business School Press
Harvard Business Publishing was founded in 1994 as a not-for-profit, wholly owned subsidiary of Harvard University (distinct from Harvard University Press), with a focus on improving business management practices. The company consists of thre ...
. .
*
Merton, Robert K. 1957. "Priorities in Scientific Discovery: A Chapter in the Sociology of Science." ''
American Sociological Review
The ''American Sociological Review'' is a bi-monthly peer-reviewed academic journal covering all aspects of sociology. It is published by SAGE Publications on behalf of the American Sociological Association. It was established in 1936. The editors- ...
'' 22(6):635–59. . .
* —— 1961. "Singletons and Multiples in Scientific Discovery: A Chapter in the Sociology of Science." ''
Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society'' 105(5):470–86.
* Shireman, William K. 1999. "Business strategies for sustainable profits: systems thinking in practice." ''
Systems Research and Behavioral Science'' 16(5):453–62. .
* Turney, Peter. 15 January 2007.
The Heroic Theory of Scientific Development" ''Apperceptual''.
External links
* http://www.philsci.com/book2-2.htm
* http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/05/12/080512fa_fact_gladwell?currentPage=all
Discovery and invention controversies
History of scientific method
Heuristics
Theories of history
Innovation
{{science-philo-stub