Science and the Royal Society

The Restoration period saw a remarkable flowering of scientific inquiry in England. The founding of the Royal Society in 1660 marked the beginning of organised, institutional science in the English-speaking world. This lesson covers the founding of the Royal Society, its key members, major scientific developments, and the wider significance of the Scientific Revolution during the Restoration.

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The Founding of the Royal Society

The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge — usually known simply as the Royal Society — was founded in 1660 and received its royal charter from Charles II in 1662.

It grew out of informal meetings of natural philosophers (scientists) who had been gathering since the 1640s in London and Oxford. The group included academics, doctors, clergymen, and gentlemen with an interest in "experimental philosophy" — the idea that knowledge should be based on observation and experiment rather than ancient authority.

Key Principles