The History Of Women And Science Research Paper

The History Of Women And Science - Research Paper Example One of the earliest women known in science was Hypatia and was a mathematician and an astrologer. She lived in Alexandria in the 4th century. She followed her father who was a professor of mathematics and philosophy. As states, students flocked into her classes to listen to her lectures. Hypatia wrote several mathematical texts. However, the texts that she wrote were destroyed when the library at the Alexandria University was sacked and burnt down. Hypatia was well respected for her contributions to science. However, she was murdered for her participation in political struggles between the Neo-Platonists and the Christians. When the modern science emerged in the 17th century, the institutional base of science shifted. Several societies were established during the seventeenth century, such as the Royal Society of London and the Academie des Sciences in Paris (Schlesinger 25).However, women were not allowed to participate in these societies for a period of about 300 years. Evidence fro m the seventeenth and eighteenth century reveals that a significant number of women were active in science and were waiting to take their place in the new institutions of science. For instance, Maria Winkelmann who was a German Philosopher was one of those women. Of all the people who were working in the fields of science, in Germany, only 14 percent were women. During that time, it was problematic for women to perform activities while in the field of science.  For instance, Winkelmann was forced to publish her astronomical work.