英国科学促进会的创建

The Making of the British Association for the Advancement of Science

英国科学促进会最初由一些对当时的英国科学体制不满的科学人发起,随后由约克哲学协会接过筹备工作,得到外省的其他哲学和文学协会的大力支持。1831年9月27日约克会议成功召开,英国科学促进会宣告成立。约克会议的巨大成功促使以前伦敦皇家学会、牛津大学和剑桥大学等体制内的科学人从观望、抵制态度转为积极参预,并谋求对该协会的领导权。英国科学的衰落论者、外省的业余科学爱好者和旧体制内的科学人对英国科学促进会的设想并不一致,并且有着不同的利益诉求,他们之间的社会协商和权力斗争确立了英国科学促进会初期的结构和功能。

The British Association for the Advancement of Science,founded in 1831,was the most important institution of science within the 19th British scientific world.This article describes the process of its foundation and early development,discusses the social negotiation and power struggle among declinists,provincial amateurs and men of science within Oxford,Cambridge and Royal Society of London,considers how different social groups of science enabled such an institution to be established,and reveals how their different opinions and roles affected its objects,structure and function.