عنوان

Science and its cultural context in Scriblerian literature

TLets409495

Science and its cultural context in Scriblerian literature

[Thesis]

Lynall, Gregory James.

University of Birmingham

2004

Ph.D.

University of Birmingham

2004

This thesis seeks to develop our understanding of the Scriblerians' attitude towards'scientific' discoveries, theories and practices, and in particular seeks to emphasize thesignificance of the cultural context of science. Chapter One analyses the satirical'miscegenation' of alchemy, the new science and index learning in Swift's A Tale of aTub, before outlining the relevance of Richard Bentley's Boyle lectures to Swift's earlyworks. In Chapter Two consideration of Swift's depiction of Isaac Newton'sinvolvement in the Wood's Halfpence affair in The Drapier's Letters leads to an analysisof the 'Voyage to Laputa' in the context of the political hegemony of Newtonianism inthe Hanoverian court. The third chapter considers how Pope discriminated between areasof scientific enquiry: supporting Newton but wary of 'Newtonianism'; interested inscience but suggesting it can become an obsession. While discussing lesser-known textsby Arbuthnot and Gay, Chapter Four attempts to show that the Scriblerians wereintensely aware that the legitimation of scientific narratives depended upon creatingboundaries between rival theories and practices: sites of cultural exchange they exploitedin their satires. The Conclusion suggests that understanding Scriblerian attacks onscience must acknowledge the widest possible cultural context and accept that onoccasions the 'science' itself may not be the main satiric target.

Lynall, Gregory James.

University of Birmingham

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y