The Invention of Air
by Steven Johnson
In "The Invention of Air," Steven Johnson challenges the conventional narrative that the scientific pursuits of America's founding figures like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were mere hobbies, secondary to their political endeavors. Instead, Johnson positions their experiments in natural philosophy as integral to their identities and philosophies. He argues that these Enlightenment thinkers were not just amateur scientists; they were part of a broader movement that believed in the transformative power of reason and experimentation to improve the world. The book emphasizes themes of curiosity, innovation, and the interconnectedness of science and politics. Johnson highlights how the founders’ scientific inquiries informed their visions of liberty and democracy, suggesting that their engagement with natural philosophy was a vital aspect of their legacy. The central message posits that the quest for knowledge and understanding was not a diversion but a driving force behind the principles of freedom and progress that defined the American experiment. Thus, "The Invention of Air" repositions the narrative of American history by illustrating how the Enlightenment ideals of reason and inquiry were foundational to the nation's identity and aspirations.
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In the popular folklore of American history, there is a sense in which the founders’ various achievements in natural philosophy—Franklin’s electrical experiments, Jefferson’s botany—serve as a kind of sanctified extracurricular activity. They were statesmen and political visionaries who just happened to be hobbyists in science, albeit amazingly successful ones. Their great passions were liberty and freedom and democracy; the experiments were a side project. But the Priestley view suggests that the story has it backward. Yes, they were hobbyists and amateurs at natural philosophy, but so were all the great minds of Enlightenment-era science. What they shared was a fundamental belief that the world could change—that it could improve—if the light of reason was allowed to shine upon it.
