| Authorised form of name | Molyneux; William (1656 - 1698); natural philosopher and writer |
| Other forms of surname | Molyneaux |
| Dates | 1656 - 1698 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | New Row, Dublin, Ireland, Europe |
| Date of birth | 17 April 1656 |
| Place of death | Dublin, Ireland, Europe |
| Date of death | 11 October 1698 |
| DatesAndPlaces | Burial:
Tomb of Sir William Ussher, north aisle of St Audoen's Church, Dublin, Ireland, Europe |
| Occupation | Writer; philosopher |
| Research field | Astronomy |
| Physics |
| Activity | Education:
St Patrick's grammar school; Trinity College, Dublin (BA; LLD 1693); Middle Temple (admitted 1675)
Career:
Called to the Dublin bar (1678); Published 'Six Metaphysical Meditations' (London, 1680), a translation of Descartes 'Meditationes' (1641); Joint Chief Engineer and Surveyor-General of the King's Buildings and Works in Ireland (1684-1688); founder of Dublin Philosophical Society officially constituted as The Dublin Society for the Improving of Naturall Knowledge, Mathematicks, and Mechanicks (1684); travelled in Holland, France and Germany (1685); designed a sundial-mounted telescope (1685) and published an account of it in Sciothericum Telescopium (Dublin, 1686); published Dioptrica Nova (London, 1692), the first optical treatise to be published in English; lived in Chester (1689-90); MP for City of Dublin and then Dublin University in the Irish Parliament (1690, 1692); originated the 'Molyneux Problem' proposed to John Locke (1693); published 'The Case of Ireland's Being Bound by Acts of Parliament in England Stated' (Dublin, 1698)
Memberships:
Dublin Philosophical Society (1683, Founder member) |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 03/02/1686 |
| Other Royal Society activity | Had multiple papers on a variety of topics, including optics and medicine, published in the 'Philosophical Transactions';
Frequent correspondent on optics, astronomy, and medicine (1680s) |
| Relationships | Parents: Samuel Molyneux and Margaret Dowdall
Siblings: Sir Thomas Molyneux (FRS 1686)
Married: Lucy Domville
Children: Samuel Molyneux (FRS 1712) |
| PublishedWorks | RCN: 55825
RCN: 55824 |
| OtherInfo | His contemporaries during his university studies included Robert Molesworth (FRS 1698) and St George Ashe (FRS 1686). Through his long correspondence with John Flamsteed (FRS 1677), Molyneux further developed his interest in natural philosophy and his formation of what would later be known as the Dublin Philosophical Society was based on the structure of the Royal Society. The famed 'Molyneux problem' asked the question whether a blind person, who had learnt to differentiate shapes by touch, could identify these shapes without touching them after having regained their sight. This became a widely discussed topic in British philosophy. Molyneux's correspondence with John Locke (FRS 1668) also covered education, morals, and ethics. |
| Related images | Discover a selection of related images in our picture library |
| Image | 
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| Source | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB; Irish Innovators; DIB; ODNB
O'Connor, John J and Robertson, Edmund F. 'William Molyneux', MacTutor History of Mathematics archive
References:
Fontes da Costa, P. 2002. 'The Culture of Curiosity at The Royal Society in the first half of the eighteenth century', in Notes and Records, vol. 56, pp. 147-166
Hayes, W. 2003. 'Physics as well as poetry. Physicists of Ireland, edited by M McCartney and A Whitaker', in Notes and Records, vol. 57, pp. 245-246
Hoppen, K T. 1963. 'The Royal Society and Ireland: William Molyneux, FRS (1656-1698)', in Notes and Records, vol. 18, pp. 125-135
Hoppen, K T. 1965. 'The Royal Society and Ireland. II', in Notes and Records, vol. 20, pp. 78-99 |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/1653149296268680670003 |
| Code | NA5638 |
| RefNo | Title | Date |
| CLP/6/63 | Paper, 'A phylosophical discourse concerning hydrostaticks' by Thomas Bates | 26 July 1709 |
| EL/T/49 | Letter, from George Tollet to William Molyneux, dated at Dublin | 21 September 1686 |
| RBO/6/128 | Table showing observations of the lunar eclipse on 19 November 1686 by William Molyneux | 1686 |
| RBO/6/120 | 'An Account of the course of the Tides in the port of Dublin in Ireland' by William Molyneux | nd |
| IM/005253 | Molyneux, William | nd |
| RBO/8/31 | 'Remarks on Mr Hautefeviles method for shortening Telescopes without lessening the effect' by Dr William Molyneux | 1698 |
| CLP/8i/36 | Paper, regarding a lunar eclipse witnessed on 19 November 1686 at Dublin by William Molyneux | 1686 |
| IM/003135 | Molyneux, William | nd |
| CLP/19/92 | Paper, answer to some queries proposed by William Molyneux concerning Lough Neagh by Edward Smith, Fellow of Trinity College Dublin | [1685] |
| EL/A/36 | Letter, from St George Ashe to the Secretary of the Royal Society, dated at Trinity College Dublin | 27 April 1686 |
| CLP/2/4 | Paper, 'A demonstration of an error committed by common surveyors in comparing of surveys taken at long intervals of time arising from the variation of the magnetick needle' by William Molyneux | [1697] |
| CLP/9i/60 | Paper, description of the bog of Kapanihane by John Honohane | 7 June 1697 |
| CLP/9i/60/1 | Manuscript, description of the bog of Kapanihane by John Honohane | 7 June 1697 |
| CLP/9i/60/2 | Plate, peat landslide at Cappanihane by unknown artist | 7 June 1697 |
| EL/M1/84 | Letter, from William Molyneux to Francis Aston, dated at Dublin | 22 April 1684 |
| EL/M1/88 | Letter, from William Molyneux to Francis Aston, dated at Dublin | 27 December 1684 |
| EL/T/47 | Copy of a letter, from George Tollet to William Molyneux, dated at Dublin | 1686 |
| EL/M1/98 | Letter, from William Molyneux to Edmond Halley, dated at Dublin | 8 October 1690 |
| EL/T/48 | Letter, from George Tollet to William Molyneux, dated at Dublin | 17 July 1686 |
| CLP/1/20/1 | Manuscripts, regarding a rule of gunnery by [Edmond Halley and George Tollet?] | [1685] |
| EL/A/33 | Minutes of the Dublin Philosophical Society, sent by St George Ashe, dated at Trinity College Dublin | 24 November 1685 |
| EL/M1/87 | Letter, from William Molyneux to Francis Aston, dated at Dublin | 23 December 1684 |
| EL/M1/90 | Letter, from William Molyneux to Francis Aston, dated at Dublin | 27 October 1685 |
| CLP/6/43 | Paper, 'An account of the course of the tides at the port of Dublin in Ireland' by William Molineux [Molyneux] | [1686] |
| EL/M1/95 | Letter, from William Molyneux to Edmond Halley, dated at Dublin | 15 May 1686 |
| EL/M1/97 | Letter, from William Molyneux [to the Royal Society], dated at Dublin | 20 July 1686 |
| EL/M1/89 | Letter, from William Molyneux to Francis Aston, dated at Dublin | 5 February 1685 |
| EL/M1/100 | Letter, from William Molyneux to Hans Sloane, dated at Dublin | 22 January 1698 |
| EL/M1/93 | Letter, from William Molyneux to Francis Aston, dated at Dublin | 14 November 1685 |
| EL/M1/86 | Letter, from William Molyneux [to the Royal Society], dated at Dublin | 9 October 1684 |
| EL/M1/99 | Letter, from William Molyneux to Hans Sloane, dated at Dublin | 4 November 1697 |
| EL/M1/101 | Copy of a letter, from William Molyneux to Hans Sloane, dated at Dublin | 1698 |
| CLP/2/14 | Paper, 'A dioptrick problem, why four convex glasses in a telescope shew objects erect' by Will Molineux [William Molyneux] | 3 November 1686 |
| EL/A/28 | Minutes of the Dublin Philosophical Society, sent by St George Ashe, dated at Trinity College Dublin | 30 May 1685 |
| RBO/6/121 | 'A Dioptrick Probleme Why four Convex glasses in a Telescope shew Objects Erect' by William Molyneux | nd |
| CLP/22i/33 | Paper, 'Sciothericum Telescopicum or a new contrivance of adapting a telescope to an horizontal dial for observing the moment of time by day or night' by William Molyneux | [1687] |
| CLP/6/42 | Paper, 'A discourse on this problem why bodys, dissolved in menstrua specifically lighter then themselves, swim therein' by William Molyneux | 1686 |
| EL/M1/92 | Letter, from William Molyneux to Francis Aston, dated at Dublin | 12 November 1685 |
| EL/H3/41 | Letter, from Edmond Halley to William Molyneux | 27 March 1686 |
| EL/H3/43 | Letter, from Edmond Halley to William Molyneux, dated at London | 27 May 1686 |
| CLP/1/20 | Papers, regarding a rule of gunnery by [Edmond Halley?] | [1685] |
| EL/M1/94 | Letter, from William Molyneux to Edmond Halley, dated at Dublin | 8 April 1686 |
| RBO/6/107 | 'A Discourse on this Problem; why Bodies dissolved in Menstrua specifically lighter, than themselves swim therein' by William Molyneux | 1686 |
| RBO/7/35 | 'Concerning the apparent magnitude of the Sun and Moon Or the Apparent Distance of two starrs, when Nigh the Horizon and when Higher Elevated' by William Molyneux dated 10 March 1687 at Dublin | 1687 |
| EL/M1/85 | Letter, from William Molyneux to Francis Aston, dated at Dublin | 7 June 1684 |
| EL/M1/91 | Translation of a letter, from William Molyneux to Francis Aston, dated at Dublin | 1686 |
| EL/M1/96 | Letter, from William Molyneux to Edmond Halley, dated at Dublin | 19 June 1686 |