Although much has been written on the intellectual achievements of the
age of Newton, Boyle and Hooke, this book provided the first systematic
assessment of the social relations of Restoration science when it was
published in 1981. On the basis of a detailed analysis of the early
history of the Royal Society, Professor Hunter examines the key issues
concerning the role of science in late seventeenth-century England. The
nature of the scientific community, the links between science and
technology and science's political affiliations are all explored, while
much light is cast on contemporary priorities in religion and learning
through a reconsideration of attacks on science. At once wide-ranging
and authoritative, this remains a work that no one concerned with
science and its social integration in this formative period can afford
to ignore.