Science and Scientism in Nineteenth-century Europe

Science and Scientism in Nineteenth-century Europe
ISBN-10
0252074335
ISBN-13
9780252074332
Category
Europe
Pages
349
Language
English
Published
2008-01
Publisher
University of Illinois Press
Author
Richard Olson

Description

Exploring the natural scientific foundations of far-reaching social ideologies The nineteenth century produced scientific and cultural revolutions that forever transformed modern European life. Although these critical developments are often studied independently, Richard G. Olson's Science and Scientism in Nineteenth-Century Europe provides an integrated account of the history of science and its impact on intellectual and social trends of the day. Focusing on the natural scientific foundations underlying liberalism, socialism, positivism, communism, and social Darwinism, Olson explores how these movements employed science to clarify their own understanding of Enlightenment ideals, as well as their understanding of progress, religion, industry, imperialism, and racism. Starting with the impact of the French Revolution on scientific thought, Olson engages with key texts from J. B. Say, Henri Saint-Simon, Kant, Goethe, Darwin, Walter Bagehot, and Edward Bellamy to demonstrate the complex set of forces that shaped nineteenth-century thinking.

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