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'''Wollaston, William Hyde''' (1766-1828): English Chemist.

Born to a famous scientific family, Wollaston quickly made his own mark, distinguishing himself in the fields of chemistry, optics, and physiology. After completing medical studies at Cambridge, he soon walked away from the profession and turned his attention to broader scientific pursuits. Along the way, he held a variety of administrative posts within the Royal Society and endowed the medal which still bears his name.

Forming a partnership with Smithson Tennant, Wollaston undertook the challenge which had stymied chemists for years--that of producing platinum in a malleable state. Wollaston's practice of working with the metal in extremely small quantities was not only the secret of his ultimate success but also allowed the ancillary discovery of the elements Palladium and Rhodium.

Another outgrowth of Wollaston's investigations into the chemical realm were his various optical devices. In 1809, he designed a reflective goniometer, a device employed in crystallography. Other instruments would follow. He is perhaps best remembered for the camera lucida, a drawing aid utilizing a quadrilateral glass prism. Related work with prisms resulted in his discovery of dark lines in the solar spectrum which would later be rediscovered and carefully mapped by Fraunhofer. His interest in optics also led Wollaston into investigations in physiology, particularly the mechanics of binocular vision.

Wollaston's enduring legacy lies not only within his own discoveries, but within those of the generations of scientists his work would come to inspire; both the mineral Wollastonite and Wollaston Island in Baffin Bay are named in his honor.

Further Reading:

J. R. Partington, ''A Short History of Chemistry'', 1951.

'''Tom Call'''

Wollaston, William

2008-02-01T02:29:37Z

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'''Wollaston, William''' (1659-1724): English Philosopher.

Wollaston was born in 1659 in Coton-Clanford, Staffordshire. He attended Sidney-Sussex College, Cambridge, where he was an impoverished but dedicated student. Failing to find a preaching position, Wollaston taught school in Birmingham for six years from 1682. In 1688 he unexpectedly inherited the great wealth of an identically named cousin, but had to support various parasitical relations. Marrying, he moved to London, where he lived quietly if studiously until his death in 1724.

Wollaston’s sole publication ''Religion of Nature Delineated'', on which his fame rests, appeared privately in 1722, and publicly two years later. Wollaston defends the unconventional view that many actions we perform implicitly assert propositions. Thus, if I steal your horse, the wrongness of my action is explained by my (implicitly) making the false claim that the horse is mine. Wollaston’s theory is furiously mocked by David Hume in his ''Treatise of Human Nature'' (1740). Hume claims that Wollaston’s theory excludes all moral wrongs that do not induce a false judgment. For example, a thief who stealthily yet obviously steals would be doubly protected from being judged immoral—if unobserved his actions do not declare anything, whereas if he is seen he honestly portrays himself as a thief!

Wollaston was an early and influential proponent of ethical rationalism, against the dominant sentimentalism of British ethical thought. While Hume’s criticisms may not be wholly fair, Wollaston is best remembered as the object of Hume’s scorn.

Further Reading:

O. Joynton, “The Problem of Circularity in Wollaston’s Moral Philosophy,” ''Journal of the History of Philosophy'' 22 (1984): 435-443.

'''Nicholas Hunt-Bull'''