Science and Sovereignty

This book explores the impact of modern science on Western notions of sovereignty and its extension and interpretation within the Hispanic world. While the Scientific Revolution richly contributed to innovations in political theory, influencing thinkers as Montesquieu, Locke, and Hobbes, the diffusion of these ideas to Puerto Rico would be held back by monarchical Spanish colonialism for nearly two centuries. The historical gap was of such an extent, that when modern science finally did arrive during the nineteenth century, its adoption and impact would be negligible. The changing political circumstances of the twentieth century, and the new world of corporate technology would also drastically impact its modern implementation in the tropical island.