Science, Technology & Society in Seventeenth-Century England

by Robert K. Merton

Book by Robert K. Merton

Genres: History, Science, History Of Science, Sociology, Nonfiction, Philosophy

344 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2001

Reviews

[Joseph Yue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any constructed theory must struggle to find a balance between precision and meaningfulness. On the one hand, if the theory is simply a description of the available data, it will be precise, but not very meaningful. On the other hand, if the theory strives to afford some explanatory and predictive power, precision must be somewhat compromised. The Merton thesis, as laid out in this book, is essentially that Puritanism is one of the main causes for the rise of various scientific disciplines in early modern England. But it is ambiguous whether Merton intends his thesis to be more descriptive or more explanatory.

If the former, then what he is saying is that, in a particular country (England) during a particular period of time (17th century) under a set of particular circumstances (historical, political, cultural, etc.), the Puritan mentality and ethos happen to have contributed to the rise of natural sciences. The thesis would be reticent, however, about whether it is something about Puritanism as such that causes the rise of natural sciences. In this case, since the particular events and conditions are not repeatable, the Merton thesis would be correct but thin - it is not saying much about the causal relation between Puritanism and science.

If the latter, the thesis should then be understood as contending that, regardless of particular circumstances, Puritanism as such has a positive influence on natural sciences as such, unless there are other impeding factors that obstruct the manifestation of this causal relation. The focus on 17th century England is simply a case study from which a more general rule can be extrapolated. But this claim must be made relative to the preceding religious context, i.e., Catholicism, such that the Puritan mentality is more conducive to natural sciences than the Catholic one. In this case, the Merton thesis would be vulnerable to a multitude of criticisms. Why did religious sentiments similar to Puritanism in Scotland, the Netherlands, and Geneva, did not produce equally prominent scientific advancement? Why did comparable scientific advancement take place in Italy where Catholicism had total control? etc. The Merton thesis would be making a quite substantial claim, but founded upon shaky ground.

In other words, the Merton thesis is either trivially correct, or probably wrong. Nevertheless, it is an inspiring attempt to anchor an instance of positive religious influence on natural sciences, thus to some extent dispersing the pervasive myth that religion is antagonistic to scientific progress. And this book is overall a worth reading one, even with a grain of salt.

[Brent Ranalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was Merton's doctoral dissertation. Two things to be said about it: First, this work is most famous, or notorious, for its suggestion that the culture/worldview/ethic of Puritanism (Calvinism) facilitated the emergence of modern science. Readers who go back to this, the original text, will see that the hypothesis is framed very modestly, and that religion is only one of several contextual social factors examined. Second, this pioneering sociologist's mastery of primary source material from the seventeenth century is truly astonishing. He would have made a first-rate historian if he had chosen that field, and the wealth of facts at his fingertips from his readings across centuries of scientific history informed his theoretical sociological work to great advantage, as his readers know. The writings of later generations of sociologists with more narrow disciplinary training seem impoverished in comparison, on the whole.

[Rick Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merton's Thesis -- there is strong correlation, between Protestant expression of Christianity and Experimental Science.

It is still debated, widely discussed, cited.

Recommended for anyone, who wants to understand

-History of West
-Science & Technology
-Religious Sects
-Theological Factions of Christianity


Deus Vult,
Gottfried

[Mark Bowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A. Preface 1970
1. The main sociological idea is that social behavior in one sphere (religion & economics) is interdependent with other spheres (science)
2. Use of Sartonian quantitative analysis to generate and test its conclusions
B. Introduction
1. At various points there are shifts in interest from one science to another
2. In 17th England it provides a good study for the shifts and foci of interest in S&T
C. Social Background: Shifts in vocational interest
1. Used the dictionary of national biography
2. Ex. Army & Navy increased during Civil Wars
3. Scientists peaked during formation of the Royal Society
D. Foci & Shifts of Interest in Science and Technology
1. Science increased because of Royal Society and the cessation of civil disturbance
2. Each science peaks at different times.
a) Intrinsic: Ex. Chemistry decreases slightly after Boyles death
b) External: Social values also played a role
E. Puritan and Cultural Values
1. The growth of science in the 17th had its roots in its culture
2. Religion was a dominating cultural force in the 17th
3. "Glorification of God" was the main Protestant emphasis and puritans
a) Reason was held in high regard because man was blessed with it
b) Education emphasized reason (math and physics), literature, art, philosophy were time wasting self-indulgence
c) Physics was the most important because it allowed man to explore God's works
F. Motive Forces of the New Science
1. Science began a new life apart from the Puritans
2. This was fueled by the amateurs. Ex. Boyle
3. The secularization of science was underway
G. Puritanism, Pietism, and Science: Testing an Hypothesis
1. Discussion of the strong Puritan influence in the founding of the Royal Society
2. Statistics prove that Protestants preferred science over Catholics
3. This was confirmed by the number of scientists who claimed to be Protestant v. Catholic
H. Science, Technology and Economic Development: Mining
1. Puritanism explains the increase in scientific activity--so what explains the increase in technology and invention
2. In the 17th coal mining expands which increases mercantile marine, which inturn influences science
I. Science, Technology & Economic Development: Transportation
1. A key to economic expansion is the need for better transportation and communication
2. The mercantile trading empire brings associated tech. problems
a) Royal Societies main job was one of navigation. ex. how to find longitude
b) This exemplifies the utilitarian role of science
c) The result was Huygens theory of the Pendulum
J. Science and Military technique
1. England's prolonged warfare in the 17th resulted in a change of military technique
a) Fire arms replaced swords, heavy artillery in the field
2. This resulted in studies of interior ballistics (study of the formation, temperature, and volume of gasses into which the powder charge is converted by combustion)
3. Exterior ballistics (motion of projectile, velocity, trajectory, gravity)