The book emphasizes the importance of historical context in understanding science from "summary" of Leviathan and the Air-Pump by Steven Shapin,Simon Schaffer
The understanding of science is deeply intertwined with the historical context in which it develops. The book explores how the scientific knowledge we have today is a product of its time, shaped by the social, political, and cultural factors of the past. By examining the historical context of scientific discoveries, we can gain a richer understanding of how and why certain ideas emerged and were accepted. In the case of the dispute between Hobbes and Boyle over the air-pump, it becomes clear that their differing views were not simply a matter of scientific disagreement, but were also influenced by their personal backgrounds and the intellectual climate of the seventeenth century. Boyle's experimental approach was shaped by his social status and connections, as well as the prevailing attitudes towards experimentation at the time. Furthermore, the book il...
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