The History and Poetics of Scientific Biography (Science, Technology and Culture, 1700–1945)

Biographies of scientists carry an increasingly prominent role in today's publishing climate. Traditional historical and sociological accounts of science are complemented by narratives that emphasize the importance of the scientific subject in the production of science. Not least is the realization that the role of science in culture is much more accessible when presented through the lives of its practitioners. Taken as a genre, such biographies play an important role in the public understanding of science. In recent years, there has been an increasing number of monographs and collections about biography in general and literary biography in particular. However, biographies of scientists, engineers and medical doctors have rarely been the topic of scholarly inquiry. As such, this volume of essays will be welcomed by those interested in the genre of science biography, and who wish to re-examine its history, foundational problems and theoretical implications. Borrowing approaches and methods from cultural studies and the history, philosophy and sociology of science, the contributions cover a broad range of subjects, periods and locations. By presenting such a rich diversity of essays, the volume is able to chart the reoccurring conceptual problems and devices that have influenced scientific biographies from classical antiquity to the present day. In so doing, it provides a compelling overview of the history of the genre, suggesting that the different valuations given scientific biography over time have been largely fuelled by vested professional interests. Contents......Page 6 List of Figures and Table......Page 8 Notes on Contributors......Page 10 Series Editor’s Preface......Page 14 Preface......Page 16 Introduction: A New Look at the Genre of Scientific Biography......Page 18 1 Presenting a ‘Life’ as a Guide to Living: Ancient Accounts of the Life of Pythagoras......Page 34 2 Biography as a Route to Understanding Early Modern Natural Philosophy......Page 54 3 Neither Genius nor Context Incarnate: Norman Lockyer, Jules Janssen and the Astrophysical Self......Page 68 4 Framing the Evidence: Scientific Biography and Portraiture......Page 88 5 Biography and the Reward System in Science......Page 110 6 The Tragedy of Comrade Hessen: Biography as Historical Discourse......Page 122 7 Received Wisdom in Biography: Tycho Biographies from Gassendi to Christianson......Page 138 8 The Programmatic Function of Biography: Readings of Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Biographies of Niels Stensen (Steno)......Page 152 9 Discriminating Days? Partiality and Impartiality in Nineteenth-Century Biographies of Newton......Page 172 10 Biographies as Mediators between Memory and History in Science......Page 190 11 ‘La Mauvaise Herbe’: Unwanted Biographies Both Great and Small......Page 202 12 Primary Suspects: Reflections on Autobiography and Life Stories in the History of Molecular Biology......Page 216 13 Pas de Deux: The Biographer and the Living Biographical Subject......Page 224 14 Resuscitating the ‘Great Doctor’: The Career of Biography in Medical History......Page 238 15 ‘No Genre of History Fell Under More Odium than that of Biography’: The Delicate Relations between Scientific Biography and the Historiography of Science......Page 258 B......Page 280 D......Page 281 H......Page 282 K......Page 283 N......Page 284 R......Page 285 S......Page 286 Z......Page 287 Preface; Introduction: A New Look At The Genre Of Scientific Biography, Thomas Soderqvist; Presenting A 'life' As A Guide To Living: Ancient Accounts Of The Life Of Pythagoras, Liba Taub; Biography As A Route To Understanding Early Modern Natural Philosophy, Stephen Gaukroger; Neither Genius Nor Context Incarnate: Norman Lockyer, Jules Janssen And The Astrophysical Self, David Aubin And Charlotte Bigg; Framing The Evidence: Scientific Biography And Portraiture, Patricia Fara; Biography And The Reward System In Science, Thomas L. Hankins; The Tragedy Of Comrade Hessen: Biography As Historical Discourse, Christopher A.j. Chilvers; Received Wisdom In Biography: Tycho-biographies From Gassendi To Christianson, Helge Kragh; The Programmatic Function Of Biography: Readings Of 19- And 20th-century Biographies Of Niels Stensen (steno), Signe Lindskov Hansen; Discriminating Days? Partiality And Impartiality In Nineteenth-century Biographies Of Newton, Rebekah Higgitt; Biographies As Mediators Between Memory And History In Science, Bernadette Bensaude-vincent; 'la Mauvaise Herbe': Unwanted Biographies Both Great And Small, Jacalyn Duffin; Primary Suspects: Reflections On Autobiography And Life Stories In The History Of Molecular Biology, Rena Selya; Pas De Deux: The Biographer And The Living Biographical Subject, Vassiliki Betty Smocovitis; Resuscitating The 'great Doctor': The Career Of Biography In Medical History, Beth Linker; 'no Genre Of History Fell Under More Odium Than That Of Biography': The Delicate Relations Between Twentieth Century Scientific Biography And Historiography Of Science, Thomas Soderqvist; Index. Edited By Thomas Söderqvist. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents 6 List of Figures and Table 8 Notes on Contributors 10 Series Editor’s Preface 14 Preface 16 Introduction: A New Look at the Genre of Scientific Biography 18 1 Presenting a ‘Life’ as a Guide to Living: Ancient Accounts of the Life of Pythagoras 34 2 Biography as a Route to Understanding Early Modern Natural Philosophy 54 3 Neither Genius nor Context Incarnate: Norman Lockyer, Jules Janssen and the Astrophysical Self 68 4 Framing the Evidence: Scientific Biography and Portraiture 88 5 Biography and the Reward System in Science 110 6 The Tragedy of Comrade Hessen: Biography as Historical Discourse 122 7 Received Wisdom in Biography: Tycho Biographies from Gassendi to Christianson 138 8 The Programmatic Function of Biography: Readings of Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Biographies of Niels Stensen (Steno) 152 9 Discriminating Days? Partiality and Impartiality in Nineteenth-Century Biographies of Newton 172 10 Biographies as Mediators between Memory and History in Science 190 11 ‘La Mauvaise Herbe’: Unwanted Biographies Both Great and Small 202 12 Primary Suspects: Reflections on Autobiography and Life Stories in the History of Molecular Biology 216 13 Pas de Deux: The Biographer and the Living Biographical Subject 224 14 Resuscitating the ‘Great Doctor’: The Career of Biography in Medical History 238 15 ‘No Genre of History Fell Under More Odium than that of Biography’: The Delicate Relations between Scientific Biography and the Historiography of Science 258 Index 280 A 280 B 280 C 281 D 281 E 282 F 282 G 282 H 282 I 283 J 283 K 283 L 284 M 284 N 284 O 285 P 285 R 285 S 286 T 287 V 287 W 287 Y 287 Z 287 Although biography as a genre has increasingly become a topic of scholarly inquiry, the genre of scientific biography; those biographies of scientists, engineers and medical doctors; has largely been overlooked. It is to remedy this situation that this volume has been conceived. Borrowing approaches and methods from cultural studies and the history, philosophy and sociology of science, the contributors to this volume cover a broad range of subjects, periods and locations. By presenting a rich diversity of essays, the volume is able to chart the reoccurring conceptual problems and devices that Borrowing approaches and methods from cultural studies and the history, philosophy and sociology of science, this work covers a range of subjects, periods and locations. It charts the reoccurring conceptual problems and devices that have influenced scientific biographies. It provides an overview of the history of the genre.