'Wallace was an outsider, so it's no wonder we don't remember him as a great scientist. He didn't limit his research to proper scientific subjects.' Respond to these assertions in an essay of 1200 words, drawing on your study of the History of Science d

Scientific advances are the product of human endeavours through time. Science has a history that can be plotted back to a time before the terminology 'scientist' was coined by William Whewell, and although there are numerous 'scientific' discoveries which precede it, the 19th century with its emphasis on technology and industrial growth saw a great push in the field of science. The political and economic situation, combined with an increasing interest in, and knowledge of the natural world, to create a climate in which scientific discoveries could be made and great scientists recognised. The history of science can provide an insight into why Wallace, despite his in depth work on the laws of nature, and natural selection (which rivalled that of Darwin) is thought of as an outsider rather than a great scientist.
The history of science has until recently been based on a two-track model involving the principles of 'naturalism' and 'symmetry'. 'Naturalism', relates to science as a natur...