A History of the Cultural Travels of Energy

This book offers a cultural history of the travels of energy in the English language, from its origins in Aristotle's ontology, where it referred to the activity-of-being, through its English usage as a way to speak about the inherent nature of things, to its adoption as a name for the mechanics of motion (capacity for work).

Peter Hjertholm holds PhD degrees in economics and history from the University of Copenhagen, where he has taught in both fields. In history, his research interests focus on slavery, black property rights, and the role of 'energy' in early American political discourse.