William Whewell’s philosophy of architecture and the historicization of biology

• Whewell’s Architectural Notes attempts to organize the study of historical architecture.
• Whewell’s Architectural Notes demonstrates Whewell’s philosophy of historical science.
• Key features of Whewell’s philosophy of historical science are explicated.
• Historicization of nineteenth century biology matches Whewell’s philosophy.
• The influence of Whewell’s philosophy of historical science has not been adequately explored.

William Whewell’s work on historical science has received some attention from historians and philosophers of science. Whewell’s own work on the history of German Gothic church architecture has been touched on within the context of the history of architecture. To a large extent these discussions have been conducted separately. I argue that Whewell intended his work on Gothic architecture as an attempt to (help) found a science of historical architecture, as an exemplar of historical science. I proceed by analyzing the key features of Whewell’s philosophy of historical science. I then show how his architectural history exemplifies this philosophy. Finally, I show how Whewell’s philosophy of historical science matches some developments in a science (biological systematics) that, in the mid-to late-nineteenth century, came to be reinterpreted as a historical science. I comment briefly on Whewell as a potential influence on nineteenth century biology and in particular on Darwin.