Nineteenth-Century Science

Influence of Industrial Revolution

Pasteur, Mendeleyev, and Faraday

Increasing secularization Darwin's theory of evolution and

controversy over Darwin's ideas

Discussion 

What were the major breakthroughs in science during this time?

Pasteur's introduction of germ theory; Mendeleyev's classification of material elements; Faraday's electric generator; Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection

Background 

Michael Faraday (1791–1867) was the son of a blacksmith and received only a basic education in a church Sunday school. As a young man, he was apprenticed to a bookbinder and used his spare time to read the books brought in for rebinding. He was especially fascinated with science and began to conduct experiments based on his reading. After attending a lecture by the British chemist Humphry Davy, Faraday sent a bound copy of the notes he took at the lecture to Davy, asking him for a job. In 1812, Faraday joined Davy as a lab assistant. Faraday would go on to become one of the greatest scientists of the nineteenth century. He discovered a number of new organic compounds, including benzene, and he was the first to liquefy a "permanent" gas. His major contributions, however, were in the fields of electricity and magnetism

Discussion 

Why did realist writers and artists reject romanticism?

Influenced by the scientific outlook, they wanted to depict everyday life exactly as it was perceived rather than exotic settings or emotional reactions.

Discussion 

How were the romantic and realist movements similar and different?

Each rejected the previous movement's emphasis; however, romanticism often focused on colorful, exotic settings, whereas realism focused on everyday lives of ordinary people and difficult social issues.