Lost in History - Adriano Shaplin with Simon Schaffer
Get lost in history listening to a discussion about The Tragedy of Thomas Hobbes in the Royal Society
Adriano Shaplin and Simon Schaffer are Lost in History in the Royal Society on Monday 24th November 2008.
The play - The Tragedy of Thomas Hobbes - written by Adriano Shaplin is discussed by the writer himself and Simon Schaffer, Professor of History at the University of Cambridge and co-author of 'Leviathan and the air pump: Hobbes, Boyle and the experimental life'. They will discuss the germination of the play and expand on how it reflects the history of the period recounting the major struggle between men such as Robert Hooke and Robert Boyle who sought knowledge through experimentation and Hobbes, a well-known and influential philosopher. It was this struggle that saw the value of experimentation, a central part of modern science, come to the fore.
For many it would be assumed that the headline name at the time would have been Isaac Newton. A widely recognised figure he has even appeared on our bank notes but Adriano and Simon will recount how people such as Hooke and Boyle played a key part in the emergence of modern science.
The story explores the growth of public scientific demonstrations and debate and pits Thomas Hobbes, England's most famous philosopher of the time against a group of young scientists led by Robert Hooke and Robert Boyle as philosophy and science battle it out for the public's attention. (The Tragedy of Thomas Hobbes is at Wilton's Music Hall from 12 November to 6 December 2008, See details).
Admission free - no ticket or advance booking. Doors will open at 5.45pm and the discussion starts at 6.30pm. Seats allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
Click here for the event page.
Royal Society events are frequently broadcast live on the web. Visit the video archive at royalsociety.tv.
Arranged in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Find out more about events in the Royal Society.
How to get there
The closest tube and train station is located at Charing Cross.
Other tube stations within a reasonable distance are Green Park, Leicester Square, Picadilly Circus, Embankment and Westminster.
If travelling by bus the 1, 4, 6 (24 hour service), 9, 11, 15, 23, 26, 59, 68, 76, X68, 91, 168, 171, 172, 176 (24 hour service), 188, 243 (24 hour service), 341 (24 hour service), 521 and RV1 all serve the area.
