Science and social change: 1700-1900

Between 1700 and 1900 the nature of science underwent a profound transformation. During that period new specialisms emerged including organic chemistry, spectroscopy, electro-chemistry, evolutionary biology, stratigraphy, thermodynamics and so on. The mechanistic universe of Newtonian dynamics remained unchanged for most of the time, at least in popular form. The social role of science became increasingly complex, ranging from straightforward application to the useful arts and technology to

the underpinning of ideologies in support or subversion of established beliefs.

The relation between science and society was seldom simple and never static.

In this study Colin Russell looks at these developments in science through the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution and the late nineteenth century when science first became a profession. Although the principal focus is Britain, he draws on material from America and Europe, especially France and Germany, analysing the relationship between changes in science and society and the extent to which they influenced one another.