Boris Hessen's Manuscripts and Documents on the History of Physics: A Historical Materialist Textbook

The long lost textbook by Soviet scholar Boris Hessen (1893-1936) provides a backdrop for his attempt to develop a historical materialist account of physics as a model for the history of early modern science. It shows that this attempt, signaling the rise of the social history of science, took the complexities of scientific development seriously, in order to provide a deeper understanding of science as such, not only for Marxists. Hessen claims that historical knowledge and its sources provide a rich reservoir, without which science education remains incomplete: No matter how new and unusual the theories of contemporary physics may be, no matter how radically they differ from the outlook of classical physics, the contemporary stage of development in physics is still a historical phase of its overall development. Therefore, knowledge of the history, of the origin, and development of physical theories not only aids in understanding its contemporary condition, but also helps to establish its historical roots and, by doing so, clears the way for new research.