History of science and the Swedish 18th century

Abstract

This essay documents the historiography of 18th century Swedish science and its main organizers Johan Nordström and his successor as professor of history of science and ideas at Uppsala University Sten Lindroth, active within this discipline until 1979. When History of ideas (in Swedish idé- och lärdomshistoria) expanded in the 1970s and later, most professors were recruited from Uppsala and from what has been called the Nord- ström school. There are other examples of expansion in Swedish history of science – a subdepartment in Uppsala devoted to this field, a historiographical Center at Royal Academy of Science, a Nobel Museum in Stockholm and so on, but the focus on the 18th Century has switched to, mainly, 19th century studies, as well as from science per se (if there is such a thing) to studies of science funding and networking. All this follows general international trends, resulting in both new knowledge and the loss of old. – More about the historiography of Swedish science can be found in this annual, mainly in Lychnos 1983.