宗教、性别与科学:贵格会作家韦克菲尔德及其植物学

Religion, Gender and Science: Quaker Writer Priscilla Wakefield and Her Botany

贵格会崇尚简朴实用,热衷科学尤其是植物学,主张男女平等,支持废奴运动,鼓励慈善。贵格会女作家普丽西拉·韦克菲尔德是英国18、19世纪女性科学传播者的典型代表,在亲切的科学写作中渗透着宗教信仰、道德教育和自然情怀等。她的《植物学入门》就是典型的例子,在姐妹间温情的书信里传授植物学知识,注重植物的实用价值,强调上帝的智慧。韦克菲尔德的科学传播、慈善事业、性别观念等都深受贵格会教义的影响,作为科学传播者和温和的女权主义者,她的故事与著作展现了科学文化与宗教情感、社会性别交互的别样图景。

As a typical female popularizer of science for young people during the 18 th and 19 th centuries in Britain,Priscilla Wakefield personified the faith and practice of the Quakers,the Religious Society of Friends:simplicity and utility,pursuit of sciences especially botany,the equality of men and women,abolitionism,philanthropy,etc.She integrated religion,moral education and love of nature into popular science writing.This paper focuses on her An Introduction to Botany,in which she popularized botanical knowledge in personal letters between sisters,and also valued the utility of plants and highly praised the wisdom of the Creator.Her career of science popularization and philanthropy and her gender ideology were greatly shaped by her religion.As a popularizer and moderate feminist,Wakefield served as a window onto interactions between scientific culture,religion and gender ideology.