Enlightenment science in the romantic era

About this book

"Jacob Berzelius (1770-1848), one of the world's leading scientists in the first half of the nineteenth century, dominated the field of chemistry, animated the cultural life of his native Sweden, and served for three decades as Perpetual Secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Despite his immense stature, modern studies of his life and work have been few and scattered, and older studies have underestimated his significance. Enlightenment Science in the Romantic Era remedies the scarcity of accessible, modern treatments of Berzelius by bringing to a broad audience the results of recent scholarship and offers an enhanced assessment of his originality and influence." "This volume sets Berzelius's work within the contemporary scientific and cultural context of both Sweden and Europe and suggests lines for further study. Its nine substantive chapters are framed by two very different biographical portraits that establish Berzelius's principal commitments (to the values of the Enlightenment), identify his Romantic opponents, explore his ability to garner and exploit scientific and cultural resources, and offer insights into his complex personality. Other chapters explore in detail his conflicts with Romanticism, his views of life and matter, and the substance of his chemistry. The Berzelius who emerges here is a more accessible, though more complicated, figure than customarily portrayed, and his achievements become more original and enduring."--BOOK JACKET.