Science in the Enlightenment Benjamin Franklin Essay

Christian Perez M. Darling English 1302 8/4/2011 Frankenology Science is any branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws gained through observation and experimentation; generally the name of which ends in the suffix -ology (Science). Many major scientific breakthroughs occurred during Mary Shelley’s lifetime and several found their way into her work. It has been noted that, [i]n many of her stories there are thinly veiled parallels between people, places, and events in Shelleys life and her characters, settings, and plots (Greenfield 288). Erasmus Darwin, Humphry Davy, and Luigi Galvani and their various, famous experiments held great†¦show more content†¦Davy, was strong in his assertion that chemistry was the basis of the other sciences and if applied properly could convert dead matter into living matter (111). This pronouncement of chemistrys virtues and aptitude for creation that bypasses sexual reproduction pricks up Victo rs ears. Victors interest in the experiment grows until his fervor overtakes his rationality but before this decline Victor learns the basics of every branch of science, math, and philosophy studied at the time, giving him a very complete education off of which to base his scientific exploration and experimentation. Shelley wants to create a well-rounded scientist that has a well-laid groundwork surrounding him in every direction, leaving him free to immediately pursue his ambitions of discovery without stretching too far out of societys comfort zone of knowledge. The initial research done by Victor leads to a more stable plot line that readers can easily follow, Shelley put forth her scientific awareness as a talisman against the skeptical. In this way Shelley protected her work and preserved the right to call it fancy but with a root in absolute fact, this partial truth is the result now known as science-fiction. In her science fiction novel Shelley wishes to draw between the scho lar-scientist who seeks only to understand the operations of nature and the master-scientistShow MoreRelatedScience Fiction Influenced Teachings of Enlightenment thinkers, Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, and Nicolas de Condorcet805 Words   |  4 Pages Enlightenment thinkers, Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, and Nicolas de Condorcet were influenced by teachings of the Scientific Revolution. Reason and logic were used to dissect what was good and valuable apart from what was tyrannical and unable to be proven from the old teachings of philosophers and religion. It was this process of reason and logic that gave these thinkers the confidence in man’s intelligence and potential to improve that showed up in their writings. According to ourRead MoreBenjamin Franklin As A Representation Of The Enlightenment1571 Words   |  7 PagesDWC 201 19 October 2015 Benjamin Franklin as a Representation of the Enlightenment The Enlightenment was largely a rational response to the 16th and 17th century Scientific Revolution, as well as major developments in philosophical thinking, such as ideas proposed by Rene Descartes. During the Enlightenment, thinkers emphasize rational and critical ways of thinking, rather than the complete reliance on religion that had been previously accepted. In many ways, Benjamin Franklin was the human embodimentRead MoreBenjamin Franklin : An Iconic Figure1710 Words   |  7 Pages Benjamin Franklin Biography. Benjamin Franklin Biography. 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