List of works by Joseph Priestley

Half-length portrait of an older man. He is wearing a black jacket with the white collar of his shirt showing.
Priestley, painted late in life by Rembrandt Peale (c. 1800)

Joseph Priestley (1733–1804) was a British natural philosopher, Dissenting clergyman, political theorist, theologian, and educator. He is best known for his discovery, simultaneously with Antoine Lavoisier, of oxygen gas.

A member of marginalized religious groups throughout his life and a proponent of what was called "rational Dissent," Priestley advocated religious toleration and equal rights for Dissenters. He argued for extensive civil rights in works such as the important Essay on the First Principles of Government, believing that individuals could bring about progress and eventually the Millennium; he was the foremost British expounder of providentialism.[1] Priestley also made significant contributions to education, publishing, among other things, The Rudiments of English Grammar, a seminal work on English grammar. In his most lasting contributions to education, he argued for the benefits of a liberal arts education and of the value of the study of modern history. In his metaphysical works, Priestley "attempt[ed] to combine theism, materialism, and determinism," a project that has been called "audacious and original."[1]

Throughout his life, Priestley was known not only as a political and theological controversialist but also as a natural philosopher. His scientific reputation rested on his writings on electricity, his invention of soda water, and his discovery of 10 previously unknown "Airs" (gases), that he reported about from 1774-1786 in a giant book of 6 volumes: Experiments and Observations on Different Kinds of Air. The most important of these newly discovered airs, was named by Priestley as "dephlogisticated air" (oxygen). But Priestley's determination to reject Lavoisier's "new chemistry" and to cling to phlogiston theory left him isolated within the scientific community.

This list classifies all of the works by Priestley. It is taken from Ronald E. Crook's A Bibliography of Joseph Priestley 1733-1804 (unless otherwise noted) and it follows very closely his generic subdivisions. All texts are by Priestley unless otherwise noted and only the first English language editions of the texts are listed below.[2] The dash at the beginning of each entry below is a shorthand for the author's name, Joseph Priestley, consistent with standard bibliographic custom.

Theological and religious works

Page reads "Institutes of Natural and Revealed Religion. In Two Volumes. Two which is prefixed, An Essay on the best Method of communicating religious Knowledge to the Members of Christian Societies. By Joseph Priestley, LL.D. F.R.S. The Second Edition. vol. I. Wisdom is the principal Thing. Solomon. Birmingham, Printed by Pearson and Rollason, for J. Johnson, No. 72, St. Paul's Church-Yard, London. M DCC LXXXIII."
Title page from the first volume of Priestley's Institutes of Natural and Revealed Religion (2nd ed.)
Page reads: "An History of the Corruptions of Christianity, in Two Volumes. By Joseph Priestley, LL.D. F.R.S. Didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? Whence then hath it tares? Matt. XIII. 27. Vol. I. Birmingham: Printed by Piercy and Jones, for J. Johnson, No. 72, St Paul's Church Yard, London. M,Dcc,LXXXII."
Title page from Priestley's An History of the Corruptions of Christianity

Theological papers

This list of Priestley's theological papers is taken from the "Selected Bibliography" in Robert Schofield's biography of Priestley.[3]

Political and social works

Page reads: "An Essay on the First Principles of Government, and on the Nature of Political, Civil, and Religious Liberty, including Remarks on Dr. Brown's Code of Education, and on Br. Balguy's Sermon on Church Authority. The Second Edition, corrected and enlarged, by Joseph Priestley, LL.D. F.R.S. London: Printed for J. Dodsley, in Pall-Mall; T. Cadell, (successor to Mr. Millar) in the Strand; and J. Johnson, No. 72 in St. Paul's Church-Yard. MDCCLXXI."
Title page from the second edition of Priestley's Essay on Government

Educational works

Philosophical and metaphysical works

Historical works

A biographical timeline, showing major figures in history
A redacted version of Priestley's Chart of Biography

Scientific works

Open book, showing title page and advertisement from Priestley's Familiar Introduction to Electricity
Title page from Priestley's Familiar Introduction to Electricity

Scientific papers

This list of Priestley's scientific papers is taken from the "Selected Bibliography" in Robert Schofield's biography of Priestley.[3]

Drawing of a machine that generated electricity through a wheel and attached to the side of a table.
Priestley's electrical machine, illustrated in the first edition of his Familiar Introduction to Electricity

The following item is a Scientific Paper not included in the above list:

Works edited by Priestley

This list of Priestley's edited works is taken from the "Selected Bibliography" in Robert Schofield's biography of Priestley.[3]

Selected collected works

Links to online works in full-text

Theological and religious works:

Political and social works:

Educational works:

Philosophical and metaphysical works:

Historical works:

Scientific works:

Selected collected works:

Notes

  1. 1 2 Tapper, Alan. "Joseph Priestley." Dictionary of Literary Biography 252: British Philosophers 1500–1799. Eds. Philip B. Dematteis and Peter S. Fosl. Detroit: Gale Group (2002), 314.
  2. Crook, Ronald E. A Bibliography of Joseph Priestley 1733-1804. London: Library Association, 1966.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Schofield, Robert E. The Enlightened Joseph Priestley: A Study of His Life and Work from 1773 to 1804. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press (2004). ISBN 0-271-02459-3.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Joseph Priestley Online. "Priestley's Complete Works".

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