Joseph Dalton Hooker's Ideals for a Professional Man of Science |
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Authors: | Richard Bellon |
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Institution: | (1) Department of History, University of Washington, Box 353560, Seattle, WA, 98195, U.S.A. |
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Abstract: | During the 1840s and the 1850s botanist Joseph Hooker developeddistinct notions about the proper characteristics of aprofessional
man of science. While he never articulated theseideas publicly as a coherent agenda, he did share his opinionsopenly in letters
to family and colleagues; this privatecommunication gives essential insight into his and his X-Clubcolleagues' public activities.
The core aspiration of Hooker'sprofessionalization was to consolidate men of science into adutiful and centralized community
dedicated to nationalwell-being. The nation in turn owed the scientific community forits ministration. When the government
bestowed funds and statuson men of science it was rewarding science – not purchasing it. His proposed reforms were piecemeal,
immediate, and above allpractical. He harbored no taste for vast millenariantransformation, and rested his conception of scientificprofessionalism
upon a respectable High Victorian foundation ofpatronage and pillars of duty, reciprocity, intimacy, andinequality. The process
of professionalization he envisioned wasas much shrewd compromise between existing interests as avindication of principle.
His power and prestige from themid-1850s onward gave him considerable ability to carry out hisreform program, although his
general success did occasion someundesired consequences for the status of natural-historypursuits.
This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
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Keywords: | botany Joseph Hooker patronage professionalization Robert Brown scientific societies William Hooker X-Club |
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