Science and Medicine

Abstract

Though our century received the complimentary title of the ’century of philosophy’ from all sides, and although we have already preselected its epitaph: Enlightenment!, many heads everywhere are seized by such sustained dizziness … one quotes ghosts, sees through thick walls, consults with the deceased, distils universal cures and preserves oneself eternally against death, one forges diamonds, cooks up gold, carries the stone of wisdom in one’s pocket, easily conjures the moon down to earth, and diverts the earth from its orbit … And the originators of these miracles in no way collect gullible crowds at rural fairs; no, Mesmer, Cagliostro and company find themselves surrounded by bejewelled society. (Catherine II, 1786)¹

Some scientific enquirers were keen to apply the methods and insights which had brought about in the late seventeenth century, the so-called Scientific Revolution: certain major advances in discovering the operations of natural laws. For the great majority of Europeans, however, such ideas and the standards of proof implied were little understood. The developments in astronomy, mathematics and physics associated especially with Isaac Newton (1642–1727) were resisted in some intellectual circles, particularly in France where the influence of the ideas of Descartes (1596–1650) was very strong. The new science was ignored by much of the population, and the new cosmology was not accepted by all.