The Creed of Science in Victorian England (Variorum Collected Studies Series) - Hardcover

Macleod, Roy M.; Roy M. MacLeod, Professor, Department Of History,

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0860786692 ISBN 13: 9780860786696

Publisher: Routledge, 2000

Synopsis

The nineteenth century, which saw the triumph of the idea of progress and improvement, saw also the triumph of science as a political and cultural force. In England, as science and its methods claimed privilege and space, its language acquired the vocabulary of religion. The new ’creed’ of science embraced what John Tyndall called the ’scientific movement’; it was, in the language of T.H. Huxley, a militant creed. The ’march’ of invention, the discoveries of chemistry, and the wonders of steam and electricity culminated in a crusade against ignorance and unbelief. It was a creed that looked to its own apostolic succession from Copernicus, Galileo and the martyrs of the ’scientific revolution’. Yet, it was a creed whose doctrines were divisive, and whose convictions resisted. Alongside arguments for materialism, utility, positivism, and evolutionary naturalism, persisted reservations about the nature of man, the role of ethics, and the limits of scientific method. These essays discuss leading strategists in the scientific movement of late-Victorian England. At the same time, they show how ’science established’ served not only the scientific community, but also the interests of imperial and colonial powers.

About this title

About the Author

Roy M. MacLeod, University of Sydney, Australia

Review

'He has done more than most to facilitate our understanding of the debates around scientific naturalism...An extremely readable collection', British Journal for the History of Science, vol.34, no.1 'This most instructive volume provides a fascinating backdrop to some of the current controversies surrounding the science-religion field... there is a great deal of general interest in this book, especially for students of the science/religion interface.' Network '... a valuable collection. The convenience of having all of these essays collected together in one place makes it more likely that they will be read as a group, allowing the reader to consider their impact as a whole and come to a greater appreciation of MacLeod's anticipations of so many themes that now command the attention of historians of Victorian science.' ISIS

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0860786692
• ISBN 13: 9780860786696
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 300