Anderson, Robert G. W. (Author)
Circumscribere: International Journal for the History of Science
Volume: 14
Pages: 1-16
Most of the time when historians study chemistry the subject dealt with is what might be called élite chemistry. This is chemistry at the cutting edge, chemistry which makes a difference to how we come to understand the properties of matter, molecules, reactions, and so on. Other associated matters which may be explored by historians of chemistry concern social, economic or political relationships with élite chemistry. By far the greatest part of the chemistry investigated has been that carried out by élite chemists. They became élite because they had advantages, often of birth, which led to an excellent and specialist education. Naturally, there are exceptions. Elite chemistry could also be carried out by those who had to struggle to gain their qualifications, because they came from poor, disadvantaged backgrounds and were self-taught. We can think of a number of such chemists: Michael Faraday and Edward Frankland are British examples of the kind of struggles referred to in Samuel Smiles' classic work of 1859, Self-Help . These chemists are in the small minority, however: until recently, very few of those born into the working class managed to cross-over the intellectual, economic or social divide.
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