This was a fantastic, insightful read that combines elements of moral philosophy, science, epistemology, ontology, empiricism, social order, assent. Absolutely loved this. The last few pages draw home the takeaway nicely - that the debates between Hobbes and Boyle reflect social and scientific issues -- issues relating knowledge, philosophy, religion, experiment, and governance -- that remain pressing today. The attention to historical detail combined with the attention to intellectual insight was particularly admirable.