12-24-2025, 03:00 AM
I'm developing a university seminar on the history of science that focuses on the often messy transition from alchemy to modern chemistry in the 17th and 18th centuries. I want to move beyond the simplistic hero narrative of figures like Lavoisier and instead explore the complex intellectual, social, and material contexts that shaped this change. I'm particularly interested in how laboratory practices, patronage, and philosophical debates about elements and combustion all interacted. For scholars in this area, what are some of the most insightful primary sources or secondary analyses that reveal the contingent nature of this scientific revolution? I'd also appreciate recommendations on effectively integrating the stories of lesser-known practitioners whose contributions were overshadowed by the more famous names.