The `Zilsel Thesis' in the Context of Edgar Zilsel's Research Programme

Abstract

Edgar Zilsel (1891-1944), historian and philosopher of science, arrived in America with what he called `two copious manuscripts': one on `the Social Roots of Science'; the other on `Natural and Historical Laws'. The first forms the basis for his historiographical essays written and published during World War II while in exile in America. These essays have given rise to the so-called `Zilsel Thesis', which holds that modern science came into being in the 16th century when the social barriers between three strata of intellectuals - university scholars, humanists and superior artisans - eroded because of the rise of free enterprise capitalism. The transformation of their intellectual capacities melded into a culturally unique endeavour called science. The other manuscript addresses the possibility of finding socio-historical laws. In this introductory Comment, we indicate how these two manuscripts are related, and how they continue a research programme which Zilsel had developed in his earlier work. We argue that the project on the social roots of science can be seen as a case-study substantiating the claim of the possibility of historical laws.

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