“On Symmetry” by Ernst Mach – a commented translation

I present a commented translation of the text “On Symmetry” by the Austrian physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach (1838–1916), published originally in Prague in 1872. The text is one of his 12 lectures, held between 1864–1894, translated into English and collected in “Popular Scientific Lectures” by Thomas J. McCormack (1865–1932) in 1895. The translation presented here was made from the English translation, which in 1894 was read and prefaced by Mach himself. Although unusual for most practitioners of contemporary physical sciences, his approach helps us understand intriguing aspects of the fluidity of disciplinary boundaries.

Keywords:
Ernst Mach; symmetry; history of science