Alfred Russel Wallace, a Victorian naturalist, firmly believed that based on his own extensive research there were theories that could effectively provide a means of studying the natural world and improving society. Although he became a respected naturalist his interests in mesmerism, socialism, and spiritualism disconnected him from the mainstream scientific community. Following the tradition of early nineteenth-century naturalists, Wallace was self-trained and self-educated, traits that allowed him to study multiple fields of interests and conduct personal experimentations. In these formative years, he was influenced by British popular culture, interactions with the working class and the latest trends of intellectual curiosities. These impressions remained with Wallace throughout his scientific career and years of political activism.
In 1844, he attended public lectures with the working class at the Mechanics Institute in Leicester where he witnessed mesmeric demonstrations performed by professionals and amateurs. After conducting experiments he became convinced such techniques were valid methods of researching the natural world. Wallace was critical of professional naturalists who shunned new research merely because it originated from unconventional individuals. As a land surveyor, Wallace witnessed the unjust seizure of Welsh lands, an experience that pushed him to later advocate for the social rights of the working class. In 1889, Wallace declared himself a socialist with the intention of promoting the benefits of land nationalization to correct social injustices such as Britains land policies. He became a devoted supporter of spiritualism, a choice that created a professional rift between him and his fellow British naturalists.
This thesis will demonstrate that Wallaces personal experiences throughout his formative years from 1823-1848 influenced his scientific research and personal convictions. Wallaces formative years shaped his perception as a naturalist dedicated to empiricism and the accumulation of facts to support his theories. As a self-trained naturalist, he relied firmly on his observations and experiments to draw his conclusions. Wallaces further skepticism of socially privileged naturalists persuaded him that all discoveries should be equally considered despite their unconventional origins. Wallaces formative years shaped his perception as a naturalist dedicated to empiricism and the accumulation of facts to support his theories.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LSU/oai:etd.lsu.edu:etd-04082016-011901 |
| Date | 11 May 2016 |
| Creators | Cervantez, Sabrina Rae |
| Contributors | Veldman, Meredith, Marchand, Suzanne, Pence, Charles |
| Publisher | LSU |
| Source Sets | Louisiana State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04082016-011901/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached herein a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to LSU or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below and in appropriate University policies, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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