Science and society in the metropolis: A preliminary examination of the social and institutional context of the Askesian Society of London, 1796–1807

Summary

This paper attempts to suggest the changing organisation of scientific culture and scientific institutions in London in the approximate period 1790–1820. A preliminary survey of the varieties of science in the city is followed by a treatment of one instance of informal association, the Askesian Society of 1796–1807. The intention is to provide a significant amount of data in an extra-institutional manner, and to illustrate a possible relationship between scientific culture and scientific advance. It is hoped that the essay might provide a starting-point for subsequent treatments of group science in urban contexts during this phase of England's history.