From its objectives, it is clear that the Society was highly secular in outlook. It completely eliminated religion from its purview, which was something rare during the nineteenth century. The Society also had certain political objectives. It sought to foster and encourage the growth of an enlightened public spirit. The Society also wanted to introduce improved methods of agriculture in India so that the economic conditions of the people might improve. The activities of the Society may be classified into four parts, viz.

•  Translation of Western literature into the local Indian languages;

•  Practical attempts to popularise and democratise mechanised farming;

•  Delivering lectures on topics of common interest;

•  Highlighting the socio-political problems of the country.

The main thrust of the Society's activities was towards the translation of various European works – relating to basic and applied sciences – into local languages and importing into them the concepts of Western learning.

The Society translated around forty European books dealing with history, political science, geography, meteorology, electricity, algebra, geometry, calculus, hydrology and agriculture. It used to select only those books, which would be beneficial for the people in developing a sense of historical perspective, interest in science and technology, and make them capable of managing their affairs and enable them to evolve a form of government best suited to themselves. In this regard, Sir Syed wrote: “If the creation of a good vernacular literature and the introduction of European science through the medium of the vernacular are impossible, then the Society may as well cease to exist. It has no raison d'etre .”

The Aligarh Scientific Society had a library and a reading room of its own. The books were mainly donated to the Society by different Indian as well as foreign gentlemen. Sir Syed himself donated a large number of books to the library. The Society subscribed to forty-four journals and magazines in 1866. Of those, 18 were in English and rest in Urdu, Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit. It exchanged its publication with similar societies like the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge founded by Pandit Harsokh Rai at Lahore and the Mohammedan Library Society founded by Moulvi Abdul Lateef Khan at Calcutta. It also exchanged its journal with the publications of the Bengal Asiatic Society, Calcutta.