Victorian Science in Context - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0226481115 ISBN 13: 9780226481111

Publisher: University of Chicago Press, 1997

Synopsis

Victorians were fascinated by the flood of strange new worlds that science was opening to them. Exotic plants and animals poured into London from all corners of the Empire, while revolutionary theories such as the radical idea that humans might be descended from apes drew crowds to heated debates. Men and women of all social classes avidly collected scientific specimens for display in their homes and devoured literature about science and its practitioners.

Victorian Science in Context captures the essence of this fascination, charting the many ways in which science influenced and was influenced by the larger Victorian culture. Contributions from leading scholars in history, literature, and the history of science explore questions such as: What did science mean to the Victorians? For whom was Victorian science written? What ideological messages did it convey? The contributors show how practical concerns interacted with contextual issues to mold Victorian science—which in turn shaped much of the relationship between modern science and culture.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Victorians were fascinated by the flood of strange new worlds that science was opening to them. Exotic plants and animals poured into London from all corners of the empire, while revolutionary theories such as the idea that humans might be descended from apes drew crowds to heated debates. Victorian Science in Context captures the essence of this fascination, charting the many ways in which science influenced and was influenced by the larger Victorian culture. Leading scholars in history, literature, and the history of science explore questions such as, What did science mean to the Victorians? For whom was Victorian science written? What ideological messages did it convey? The contributors show how the practical side of science, such as the choice of particular instruments an the manner of measurement, indeed the entire laboratory setup, interacted with the social and cultural context to mold Victorian science.

About the Author:

Bernard Lightman is professor of humanities at York University, Toronto, editor of the journal Isis, editor of Victorian Science in Context, and coeditor of Science in the Marketplace, all published by the University of Chicago Press.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0226481115
• ISBN 13: 9780226481111
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 498
• Editor: Lightman Bernard