Simon Schaffer
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| Simon Schaffer | |
|---|---|
| Name | Simon Schaffer |
| Birth date | 1955 |
| Birth place | United Kingdom |
| Fields | History of science, Philosophy of science |
| Workplaces | University of Cambridge, University of Cambridge Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Science Museum, London, University College London |
| Alma mater | King's College, Cambridge, University of Cambridge |
| Known for | History of science scholarship, studies of experimental philosophy, histories of astronomy, natural philosophy |
Simon Schaffer is a British historian of science known for his scholarship on early modern and nineteenth-century science, the social history of experimentation, and the material culture of scientific instruments. He has held academic positions at leading institutions and contributed widely to public history through broadcasting, curatorial work, and collaborative projects. His work often interweaves archival research with philosophical and sociological perspectives, engaging with the histories of Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, William Herschel, and John Herschel as well as institutions such as the Royal Society, the Royal Institution, and the British Museum.
Early life and education
Schaffer was born in 1955 in the United Kingdom and educated at King's College, Cambridge where he studied History and the History of Science. He completed postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge within the Department of History and Philosophy of Science and was influenced by scholars associated with Thomas Kuhn, Michael Polanyi, and David Bloor. During his formative years he engaged with archival collections tied to figures like Robert Hooke, Edmond Halley, and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and institutions including the Royal Society and the Science Museum, London.
Academic career and positions
Schaffer's academic appointments include posts at University College London and long-standing roles at the University of Cambridge where he became a professor in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science. He has served as a fellow of King's College, Cambridge and held visiting positions at institutions such as Harvard University, the Institute for Advanced Study, and the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science. Schaffer has collaborated with curators and historians at the Science Museum, London, the British Museum, and the Royal Observatory, Greenwich while participating in research programs funded by bodies like the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Leverhulme Trust.
Research and contributions
Schaffer’s research explores the social and material practices of experiment and observation in the histories of astronomy, natural history, and electricity. He has analyzed the work of Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle, Joseph Banks, William Herschel, and Charles Darwin to show how instruments, networks, and institutions shaped scientific knowledge. Drawing on the traditions of social history, science and technology studies, and philosophy of science, he has written on subjects such as the role of instruments in scientific argument, the politics of scientific credibility, and the circulation of specimens and data across institutions like the Royal Society, the Royal Institution, and the British Museum. His influential essays examine controversies involving figures like John Playfair and Humphry Davy, and he has contributed to debates initiated by scholars including Steven Shapin, Simon Schaffer’s contemporaries, Lorraine Daston, and Peter Galison.
Major publications
Schaffer is co-author or editor of numerous books and essays that have shaped contemporary histories of science. Notable works include "Leviathan and the Air-Pump" (co-authored) which examines disputes between Thomas Hobbes and Robert Boyle and the role of experiment in the Royal Society; monographs and edited volumes addressing astronomy, natural philosophy, and the history of scientific instruments; and collections of essays that engage with archival sources from the Royal Society, the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and private collections tied to John Herschel and William Herschel. His publications have appeared in outlets associated with Cambridge University Press, Princeton University Press, and academic journals connected to the History of Science Society and the British Society for the History of Science.
Public engagement and media appearances
Schaffer has contributed to public history through broadcasts, exhibitions, and documentaries produced by organizations such as the BBC, the Science Museum, London, and the Royal Institution. He has appeared in radio and television programs alongside presenters from the BBC Radio 4 and BBC Two and has been involved in curatorial projects and public lectures at venues including the Royal Society, the Royal Institution, and the Wellcome Collection. Schaffer has also participated in interdisciplinary collaborations with artists and scientists linked to institutions like the Tate Modern, Imperial College London, and the Natural History Museum, London.
Honors and awards
Schaffer has received fellowships and honors from bodies such as the British Academy, the Royal Society of Literature, and research trusts including the Leverhulme Trust and the Guggenheim Foundation. He has been elected to learned societies including the Royal Historical Society and has received awards from organizations like the History of Science Society for his contributions to scholarship and public history.