Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
Just like his teacher Gerrit Moll (1785-1838), Mulder had great ad-
miration for English science and its prevailing utilitarian view. Moll was
the leading example of a science popularizer for Mulder (Mulder 1881,
vol. 1, p. 188). The English influence on Mulder's views is appropriately
reflected in the fact that he preferred to use the English term
useful
knowledge
where others would simply refer to its Dutch equivalent
(Mulder 1881, vol. 1, pp. 182, 195).
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Not surprisingly, we encounter
many of the views promoted by the
Society for the Diffusion of Knowl-
edge
and the
Penny Magazine
also in his writings almost word for word.
Mulder considered “thou shall be useful to others” as the highest com-
mand citizens had to live by. Scientists, therefore, should not be men of
learning but “men of
useful knowledge
”. They should gear their research
toward socially useful matters and be fully committed to passing on their
knowledge to workers, women, boys, and other members of society.
Much as in his English examples, this knowledge diffusion served a ma-
jor moral goal, according to Mulder, because it would make an essential
contribution to the “moral and material happiness of the people”. Knowl-
edge of nature would encourage young people to admire “the Creator of
all things”. Our 'knowing', he felt, determined our 'action', which is why
all knowledge had direct ethical relevancy (Mulder 1881, vol. 1, pp. 31,
38, 182, 193-8, 294; Mulder 1850, pp. 8, 11, 30-3; Mulder, 'Voorrede',
in Stöckhardt,
De scheikunde
(1848), cited after De Vrijer 1946, p. 45;
Gunning 1882, pp. 153-7;
cf.
also Anderson 1994, pp. 53-4, 67, 79). For
Mulder, therefore, science popularization was hardly a marginal activity;
it was to him an essential and integral part of his identity as a scientist.
Energetically, he dedicated himself to the popularization of chemistry,
notably in the years between 1845 and 1851. He was involved in nearly
all the kinds of popularization activities discussed above. For example, in
the 1840s he gave popular lectures on chemistry for the Society Physica
in Utrecht, he gave evening classes to boys between 12 and 16, he was
one of the founders of the technical school in Utrecht, he was an initiator
and for years the chairman of the Vereeniging ter Bevordering van Nut-
tige Kennis, and he was secretary and co-founder of the Maatschappij
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See also his correspondence with the Ministry of the Colonies (personal information
from Margaret Leidelmeijer).
