This talk will defend the claim that science is a unique invention of
Europe, and that it was invented in the seventeenth century.
The talk will address the intellectual preconditions for the emergence of what we
call science, with a focus on discoveries, facts, and theories. It will also discuss the institutional, social, and technological
preconditions for science, with emphasiz on institutions such as universities and the printing press. Finally the talk will adrdess the question of whether science is a social construct, where Wootton will argue for a middle way between social constructivism and positivism.