Authority and Contest

This study unveils the complex and contentious landscape of early to mid-nineteenth-century British knowledge politics. An in-depth account of new and emerging sites for the production, dissemination, negotiation, and appropriation of knowledge among a diverse group of participants, it examines how these actors vied for and contested cultural authority, based on beliefs claimed as “scientific.” Treating a wide topography of science and culture—from the elite circles of gentleman naturalists to the demotic movements of radical artisans—the author argues for the pivotal role of periodicals in shaping scientific publics and discourses. Through explorations of radical science, the useful knowledge movement, Secularism, and the making and reception of key publications like Charles Lyell’s Principles of Geology, this study illuminates the dynamic interplay between science, culture, and power. It offers a fresh and broadened perspective on how science was both produced and challenged in various overlapping and competing publics during this transformative period.