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https://exhibits.library.illinois.edu/s/rbml/item/3934
- Title
- Theory of the earth, with proofs and illustrations.
- Description
- James Hutton presented this drawing of an angular “junction” (i.e., unconformity) between layers of the Earth near Jedburgh, Scotland as evidence for his Theory of the Earth (1788). Hutton’s illustration is another example of a pre-19th century, ahistorical approach to interpreting geologic layers. He viewed this scene as supportive of an endlessly repetitive cycle in which the older layers were tilted and eroded to form new material for the younger layers. This theory clearly has temporal aspects, but it lacked any sense of directionality in the overall sequence, or distinctiveness to each discrete layers; that is, historical context. For Hutton, there was “no vestige of a beginning, no prospect of an end.” This famous phrase should be understood in a literal sense: the Earth is eternal, with no beginning, no end, and no unique history for any given cycle. Hutton’s arguments placed him on the opposite end of the intellectual spectrum from those that proposed an Earth that was only a few millennia old (e.g., Ussher), which garnered criticsm from savants that sought a middle path: an exceptionally old Earth with a finite history.
- Call Number (click link to view in library catalog)
- 551.7 H979t
- See Also
- Full Text Available at HathiTrust
- Authors
- Hutton, James
- Full Title
- Theory of the earth, with proofs and illustrations. In four parts.
- Date
- 1795
- From the Exhibit
- In Search of Lost Time: History in the Layers of the Earth
- Publisher
- Printed for Messrs Cadell, junior, and Davies, London; and W. Creech
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Language
- English
- Rights
-
This item is the physical property of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Intellectual property rights, including copyright, may reside with the materials' creator(s) or their heirs.
The Rare Book & Manuscript Library's reproduction and publication policies are available here: https://www.library.illinois.edu/rbx/collections/reproduction-services/. The library welcomes requests for reproductions made from works in our collections, though restrictions may apply to certain materials. Please contact the library with any questions at askacurator@illinois.edu. - Type
- Text
- Medium
- Book
- Bibliographic Citation
- Hutton, James. Theory of the Earth, with Proofs and Illustrations. Edinburgh: Printed for Messrs Cadell, junior, and Davies, London; and W. Creech, 1795-1899.