Global Networks, Global Knowledge: The Geographical, Religious, and Commercial Practices Which Shape

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Global Networks, Global KnowledgeThe
Geographical, Religious, and CommercialPractices
Which Shaped Early Modern Science

• Claire Kennedy
• AAHPSSS Conference Presentation
• 2nd July, 2007

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Samuel Purchas (1575?-1626)

• Hakluytus Posthumus or Purchas His Pilgrimes
  Contayning a History of the World in Sea Voyages
  and Lande Travells by Englishmen and others,
  Samuel Purchas, 1625.

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The Merton Thesis

• Science, Technology and Society in Seventeenth
  Century England.
• Claims Puritanism, as the dominant cultural
  influence in 17th century England, encouraged the
  growth of early modern science.

Robert K. Merton (1910-2003)
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Weber Merton

• The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
• Weber
• Protestantism Capitalism
• Merton
• Puritanism Science
• On the basis of the data represented in the last
  three chapters it may be tentatively maintained
  that socio-economic needs influenced considerably
  the selection of subjects of investigation by
  scientists in seventeenth century England
  (Italics mine)

Max Weber (1864-1920)
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Religion
Science
Commerce
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Long-distance Corporations

• Legally constituted corporations engaged in
  overseas activities.
• East and West Indies trading companies, colonial
  administrative bureaus, religious orders with
  overseas mission, scientific academies.
• Pursuit of trade, propagation of faith,
  investigation of nature

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Thinking Globally
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• Man that hath the Earth for his Mother, Nurse,
  and Grave, cannot find any fitter object in this
  World, to busie and exercise his heavenly and
  better parts then in the knowledge of this
  Earthly Globe, except in his God, and that his
  heavenly good and Inheritance unto both which
  this is also subordinate, to the one as a Booke
  set forth by himselfe, and written of his
  Wisdome, Goodnesse, Power and Mercy to the other
  as a way and passage, in which Man himselfe is a
  Pilgrim.