William Whiston

author

William Whiston

1667–1752

A lively early champion of Newtonian science, this English mathematician and theologian wrote across astronomy, history, and religion. He is often remembered both for succeeding Isaac Newton at Cambridge and for the religious controversies that later cost him that post.

1 Audiobook

A Course of Mechanical, Magnetical, Optical, Hydrostatical and Pneumatical Experiments perform'd by Francis Hauksbee, and the Explanatory Lectures read by William Whiston, M.A.

A Course of Mechanical, Magnetical, Optical, Hydrostatical and Pneumatical Experiments perform'd by Francis Hauksbee, and the Explanatory Lectures read by William Whiston, M.A.

by William Whiston, Francis Hauksbee

About the author

Born in 1667 in Leicestershire, William Whiston was an English theologian, historian, natural philosopher, and mathematician. He studied at Cambridge, became closely associated with Isaac Newton's ideas, and eventually succeeded Newton as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics.

Whiston helped bring Newtonian science to a wider audience through lectures and books. His writing ranged widely, from A New Theory of the Earth to historical and religious works, and he also became known for his translations of Josephus, which remained widely read for generations.

His career was also shaped by controversy. Whiston's religious views, especially his rejection of orthodox Trinitarian doctrine in favor of Arianism, led to his removal from his Cambridge chair. Even so, he remained a prolific and energetic writer whose life sat at the crossroads of science, faith, and public debate in early modern England.