The 18th century is the period of enlightment. Historians have however discussed if one can speak of an enlightment in Sweden. There was no political ideology connected to these ideas, and there was certainly no split between science and religion. Scientist were still as religious as anyone else, and new knowledge was seen as proof of God's existance. The world could not have been so cleverly constructed without him.
One of these religious scientists, Carl von Linné is probably the internationally best known Swede and his scheme for the naming of plants and animals is still in use. He had contempraries who also made international fame, like Anders Celsius - the man who made the Celsius temperature scale - and statistician Pehr Wargentin.Carl von Linné (1707-1778) portraied by Alexander Roslin in 1775.
