The scientific interests of Cotton Mather

Abstract

This paper is a probe into the scientific mind of Cotton Mather, one of New England's most illustrious historical figures. As a Puritan clergyman, Cotton Mather was the intellectual focus for a large segment of the Puritan community and was perhaps the most active and brilliant mind of his generation in New England. His intellectual prowess stirred awe in his followers and detractors alike, and his abilities demand admiration from those few who still read his books. The major considerations in the following chapters will be Mather's use of source material, his personal experiences with direct observation and experimentation and the value of such experiences, and his conception of the relationship between Puritan orthodoxy and seventeenth and early eighteenth century science.