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| {{Infobox person | | {{short description|19th-century English physiologist and naturalist}} |
| |name = William Benjamin Carpenter | | {{Use British English|date=October 2023}} |
| |image = William Carpenter.jpg
| | {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} |
| |image_size = 180px
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| |caption =
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| |birth_date = {{Birth date|1813|10|29|df=yes}}
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| |birth_place = [[Exeter]], [[Devon]]
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| |death_date = {{Death date and age|1885|11|19|1813|10|29|df=yes}}
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| |death_place = [[London]]
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| |death_cause = Burns from an accident with the fire heating a vapour bath
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| |resting_place = [[Highgate Cemetery]]
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| |resting_place_coordinates = {{Coord|51.567|0.147|display=inline}}
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| |residence =
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| |nationality = British
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| |known_for = | |
| |alma_mater = {{Unbulleted list|[[University College London]]|[[University of Edinburgh]]}}
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| |occupation = [[physiologist]], [[neurologist]], [[naturalist]]
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| |years_active = 1839–1879
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| |awards = [[Royal Medal]] <small>(1861)</small><br>[[Lyell Medal]] {{small|(1883)}}
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| |spouse = Louisa Powell (1840–1885)}}
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| '''William Benjamin Carpenter''' [[MD]] [[MRCS]] [[Companion of the Order of the Bath|CB]] [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]] (29 October 1813 – 19 November 1885)<ref name="ODNB">{{cite web| author = Smith, Roger |date = 2004| title = Carpenter, William Benjamin (1813–1885)| work = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, online edition| publisher = Oxford University Press| url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/4742| doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/4742| accessdate = 24 June 2010}}</ref><ref name=popsci>Sketch of W.B. Carpenter. ''The Popular Science Monthly'' '''28''': 538–544. February 1886. [https://books.google.com/books?id=oywDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA544&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false]</ref> was an [[England|English]] [[physician]], [[invertebrate]] [[zoologist]] and [[physiologist]]. He was instrumental in the early stages of the unified [[University of London]]. | | '''William Benjamin Carpenter''' (29 October 1813 – 19 November 1885) was a prominent English [[physiologist]], [[naturalist]], and [[zoologist]]. He was a leading figure in the field of [[biology]] during the 19th century and made significant contributions to the understanding of [[marine biology]], [[microscopy]], and [[physiology]]. |
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| Carpenter was born on 29 Oct 1813 in [[Exeter]], the eldest son of Dr Lant Carpenter, an important [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]] preacher who influenced a "rising generation of Unitarian intellectuals".<ref name=Desmond>Desmond, Adrian 1989. Chapter 5: Accommodation and domestication: dealing with Geoffroy's Anatomy – W.B. Carpenter and lawful morphology. In ''The politics of evolution: morphology, medicine, and reform in radical London''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p. 210. {{ISBN|0-226-14346-5}}</ref> From his father, Carpenter inherited a belief in the essential lawfulness of the creation: this meant that natural causes were the explanation of the world as we find it. William embraced this "[[naturalism (philosophy)|naturalistic cosmogeny]]" as his starting point.<ref name = Desmond/> | | ==Early life and education== |
| | William Benjamin Carpenter was born in [[Exeter]], [[Devon]], England. He was the eldest son of Dr. Lant Carpenter, a Unitarian minister and educator. Carpenter was educated at his father's school and later attended the [[University of Edinburgh]], where he studied medicine. He graduated with an MD in 1839. |
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| Although qualified medically, he was best known for his work on [[ocean|marine]] [[zoology]], notably the lower organisms such as [[Foraminifera]] and [[crinoid]]s.<ref name=Desmond/> These researches gave an impetus to deep-sea exploration, such as the 1868 [[oceanography|oceanographic]] survey with ''HMS Lightning'' and later the more famous [[Challenger Expedition]].
| | ==Career== |
| | After completing his education, Carpenter began his career as a lecturer in medical jurisprudence at the [[Bristol Medical School]]. He later moved to [[London]], where he became a lecturer in physiology at the [[London Hospital]]. Carpenter was appointed as the Fullerian Professor of Physiology at the [[Royal Institution]] in 1844. |
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| In the long term, however, he has become known as a founder of idea of the [[adaptive unconscious]]. He observed that the human [[perception|perceptual system]] almost completely operates outside of [[conscious]] awareness. These same observations were also made by [[Hermann Helmholtz]]. Perhaps because these views were in conflict with the theories of [[Descartes]], they were neglected for a hundred years. Carpenter noticed that the more he studied the mechanism of [[thought]], the more clear it became that it operates largely outside awareness. He noticed that the unconscious [[prejudice]]s can be stronger than conscious thought and that they are more dangerous since they happen outside of conscious.<ref name = Gill>Thomas K.B. 2008. In Gillispie C.C. (ed) ''Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography'' '''3'''. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 87–89.</ref>
| | Carpenter's work in physiology was highly influential. He was known for his research on the [[nervous system]] and the [[circulatory system]]. He published several important works, including "Principles of General and Comparative Physiology" and "The Microscope and Its Revelations," which became standard texts in the field. |
| He also noticed that emotional reactions can occur outside of conscious until attention is drawn to them:
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| :"Our feelings towards persons and objects may undergo most important changes, without our being in the least degree aware, until we have our attention directed to our own mental state, of the alteration which has taken place in them".<ref>Carpenter W.B. 1875. ''Principles of mental physiology''. 2nd ed, King, London. p24-8, 516–7, 519–20, 539–41.</ref>
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| He also asserted both the freedom of the will and the existence of the [[Id, ego and super-ego|ego]].<ref name = Gill/>
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| In the popular mind, he was perhaps better nown for his work against [[alcoholism]],<ref>Carpenter, William Benjamin 1850. Condie, David Francis, ed. ''On the use and abuse of alcoholic liquors, in health and disease''. London 1850. Gilpin & Churchill.</ref> for which he won a prize of 100 [[guinea (British coin)|guineas]]. It was one of the first [[temperance]] books.
| | ==Contributions to marine biology== |
| | Carpenter was also a pioneer in the field of [[marine biology]]. He participated in several deep-sea expeditions, including the [[HMS Challenger expedition]], which greatly expanded the understanding of marine life and oceanography. His work helped to establish the study of marine biology as a distinct scientific discipline. |
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| In 1856 Carpenter became Registrar of the [[University of London]], and held the office for twenty-three years. He was made a Companion of the [[Order of the Bath]].
| | ==Microscopy== |
| | Carpenter was an expert in the use of the [[microscope]] and made significant contributions to the development of [[microscopy]] as a scientific tool. His book "The Microscope and Its Revelations" was widely used by scientists and students alike and helped to popularize the use of the microscope in scientific research. |
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| == Works == | | ==Later life and legacy== |
| *Carpenter, William Benjamin 1839. ''Principles of general and comparative physiology''. London.
| | In his later years, Carpenter continued to write and lecture on various scientific topics. He was a fellow of the [[Royal Society]] and received numerous honors for his contributions to science. Carpenter passed away on 19 November 1885 in [[London]]. |
| *Carpenter, William Benjamin 1842 [first edition]; 1843 [first American edition]. ''Principles of human physiology''. London and Philadelphia.
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| *Carpenter, William Benjamin 1844. ''Vegetable and systematic botany''. London: Orr.
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| *Carpenter W.B. 1844{{ndash}}45. ''Zoology: being a systematic account of the general structure, habits, instincts and uses of the principal families of the animal kingdom''. 2 vols: London: Rees.
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| *Carpenter, William B. 1848. ''Animal physiology''. 2nd ed, London: Wm. S. Orr, p. 579. The first edition was 1843, dedicated to Sir James Clark.
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| *Carpenter, William Benjamin 1850. Condie, David Francis, ed. ''On the use and abuse of alcoholic liquors, in health and disease''. London: Churchill.
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| *Carpenter, William Benjamin 1852. On the influence of suggestion in modifying and directing muscular movement, independently of volition. ''Proceedings of the Royal Institution of Great Britain'': 147–153.
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| *Carpenter W.B. 1856. ''The microscope and its revelations''. London: Churchill.
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| *Carpenter, William Benjamin 1862. ''Introduction to the study of Foraminifera''. London: Ray Society.
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| *Carpenter, William Benjamin 1874. ''Principles of mental physiology''. London: Henry S. King. (facsimile by Thoemmes Press 1998. {{ISBN|1-85506-662-9}}; reissued by Cambridge University Press 2009. {{ISBN|978-1-108-00528-9}}).
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| *Carpenter, William Benjamin 1887. ''Mesmerism, spiritualism, etc: historically and scientifically considered''. New York: Appleton.
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| *Carpenter, William Benjamin & Carpenter, J. Estlin 1888. ''Nature and man: essays scientific and philosophical''. London: Kegan Paul & Trench. A posthumous collection of his writings in periodicals.
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| == References == | | Carpenter's work laid the foundation for many areas of modern biology and physiology. His contributions to the understanding of the nervous system, marine biology, and microscopy have had a lasting impact on the scientific community. |
| {{reflist}}
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| | ==Related pages== |
| | * [[Physiology]] |
| | * [[Marine biology]] |
| | * [[Microscopy]] |
| | * [[HMS Challenger expedition]] |
| | * [[Royal Society]] |
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| {{DEFAULTSORT:Carpenter, William Benjamin}}
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| [[Category:1813 births]] | | [[Category:1813 births]] |
| [[Category:1885 deaths]] | | [[Category:1885 deaths]] |
| [[Category:English biologists]] | | [[Category:English physiologists]] |
| [[Category:English physicians]] | | [[Category:English naturalists]] |
| [[Category:Physiologists]] | | [[Category:English zoologists]] |
| [[Category:Unitarians]] | | [[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]] |
| {{stb}}
| | [[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society]] |
| <gallery>
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| File:William_Carpenter.jpg|Portrait of William Benjamin Carpenter
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| File:Family_grave_of_William_Benjamin_Carpenter_in_Highgate_Cemetery.jpg|Family grave of William Benjamin Carpenter in Highgate Cemetery
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| File:Carpenter72.jpg|William Benjamin Carpenter
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| </gallery>
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19th-century English physiologist and naturalist
William Benjamin Carpenter (29 October 1813 – 19 November 1885) was a prominent English physiologist, naturalist, and zoologist. He was a leading figure in the field of biology during the 19th century and made significant contributions to the understanding of marine biology, microscopy, and physiology.
Early life and education[edit]
William Benjamin Carpenter was born in Exeter, Devon, England. He was the eldest son of Dr. Lant Carpenter, a Unitarian minister and educator. Carpenter was educated at his father's school and later attended the University of Edinburgh, where he studied medicine. He graduated with an MD in 1839.
After completing his education, Carpenter began his career as a lecturer in medical jurisprudence at the Bristol Medical School. He later moved to London, where he became a lecturer in physiology at the London Hospital. Carpenter was appointed as the Fullerian Professor of Physiology at the Royal Institution in 1844.
Carpenter's work in physiology was highly influential. He was known for his research on the nervous system and the circulatory system. He published several important works, including "Principles of General and Comparative Physiology" and "The Microscope and Its Revelations," which became standard texts in the field.
Contributions to marine biology[edit]
Carpenter was also a pioneer in the field of marine biology. He participated in several deep-sea expeditions, including the HMS Challenger expedition, which greatly expanded the understanding of marine life and oceanography. His work helped to establish the study of marine biology as a distinct scientific discipline.
Microscopy[edit]
Carpenter was an expert in the use of the microscope and made significant contributions to the development of microscopy as a scientific tool. His book "The Microscope and Its Revelations" was widely used by scientists and students alike and helped to popularize the use of the microscope in scientific research.
Later life and legacy[edit]
In his later years, Carpenter continued to write and lecture on various scientific topics. He was a fellow of the Royal Society and received numerous honors for his contributions to science. Carpenter passed away on 19 November 1885 in London.
Carpenter's work laid the foundation for many areas of modern biology and physiology. His contributions to the understanding of the nervous system, marine biology, and microscopy have had a lasting impact on the scientific community.
Related pages[edit]
