Defining a Victorian Scientist

I found the effect of class stabilization from BA meetings surprising because there was so much class conflict within the Victorian era. I think opening BA meetings to the general public marked a change in thought of science for everyman, not just for aristocrats who would have had access to education. The prevalence of a science-minded people came through even in advertisements for medicine where medicines explained that they had used the scientific method to come to their conclusions.

The idea of progress and improving oneself must have helped science flourish because people saw that they could get involved from the top levels such as the Royal Society, to the Church of England, and even in local or amateur groups and discuss science. Mary Anning’s story was a perfect example of an “amateur” practicing paleontology, making important discoveries both scientifically and historically and improving her own and her family’s situation by discovering and selling fossils.

In class we discussed Henry de la Beche and Charles Lyell. Both of them and Mary Anning had different experiences to becoming scientists; however, I think that all three can be considered scientists for different reasons. Charles Lyell wrote books, had the proper education, and did not conduct much field work. De la Beche was also from a prosperous family in Lyme Regis, the same town as Mary Anning, and was elected to the Royal Society at age 19 and conducted geological research at an institution. Mary Anning actually conducted fieldwork, but was not from a prosperous family unlike the two men. That all three can be considered scientists for their contributions to a scientific field shows the complexity in defining a scientist in Victorian England.
Thomas Huxley and his work helped connect the idea of a Victorian scientist with the idea of a Victorian doctor. Thomas Huxley, within the first generation of professional scientists, challenged traditional scientific values much in the same way that Lister challenged traditional medicinal values. I wonder how much these changes have actually affected today’s society especially with the huge number of creationists, there is even a museum now devoted to the idea of creationism, and that we still face problems with contamination, evidenced by the recent food recalls, simply because people do not wash their hands or are not provided with sanitary working conditions. How far have we really come?