Kepler's Cosmological Synthesis

Astrology, Mechanism and the Soul

AvPatrick J. Boner

Inbunden, Engelska, 2013

Del 20 i serien Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy and Science

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Beskrivning

The cosmology of Johannes Kepler remains a mystery. On the one hand, Kepler’s speculations on spiritual faculties are seen as the remnants of Renaissance philosophy. On the other, his comparison of the cosmos to a clock summons the mechanical metaphor that shaped modern science. This book explores the inseparable connections between Kepler’s vitalistic views and his more enduring accomplishments in astronomy. The key argument is that Kepler’s ‘celestial biology’ served as a bridge between his revolutionary astronomy and other ‘less scientific’ interests, particularly astrology.Kepler's Cosmological Synthesis sheds new light on one of the foundational figures of the Scientific Revolution. By uncovering a new form of coherence in Kepler’s world picture, it traces the unlikely intersections of mechanism and vitalism that transformed the fabric of the heavens.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2013-06-21
Mått:155 x 235 x 17 mm
Vikt:460 g
Format:Inbunden
Språk:Engelska
Serie:Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy and Science
Antal sidor:190
Förlag:Brill
ISBN:9789004246089

Utforska kategorier

Astronomi inom Naturvetenskap och teknik

Mer om författaren

Patrick J. Boner, Ph.D. in History and Philosophy of Science (2007), is a Visiting Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University. He has published extensively on the history of astrology and astronomy, including the edited volume, Change and Continuity in Early Modern Cosmology (Springer, 2011).

Recensioner i media

In this important work, historian of science Patrick Boner ably argues against the view of Kepler as an early proponent of the mechanistic universe. The focus on mechanism makes it difficult to understand the place of astrology in Kepler’s thought. Dr. Boner develops the concept of Kepler’s “vitalistic universe,” which describes heavenly bodies in biological terms. This concept becomes the means to integrate Kepler’s astronomical and astrological thought.Sheila J. Rabin, Saint Peter's College

Innehållsförteckning

AcknowledgementsList of IllustrationsList of AbbreviationsIntroductionChapter One. Kepler’s Vitalistic View of the Heavens: Some Preliminary Remarks1. Kepler’s Clockwork Metaphor2. Spiritual Agency in Kepler’s Astrology3. Threads of Continuity in Kepler’s CosmologyChapter Two. Kepler’s Early Career in Astrology, 1594–15991. Not All Astrologers Created Equally: Kepler’s Perception of His Practice2. Conserving the Kernel: Kepler’s Early Conception of the Astrological Aspects3. From the Earth to Humanity: Further Effects of the Astrological Aspects4. The Weight of Proof: Observational Evidence for the Astrological AspectsChapter Three. The New Star of 16041. The Multiple Purposes of On the New Star2. The Soul of the Earth: Instinctual Responses to the Astrological Aspects3. Finding Middle Ground: The Soul of the Earth and the Surrounding Cosmos4. Philosophical Marvel and Theological Miracle: The Many Meanings of the New StarChapter Four. The Comets of 1607 and 16181. The Role of Divine Providence in Kepler’s Cometary Theory2. Clarifying Curvature and the Rectilinear Course of Comets3. Celestial Sympathy and Earthly Knowledge of CometsChapter Five. Kepler’s Apology1. Situating the Soul of the Earth: Elemental Instruments and their Animate Impetus2. Configurations and Consonances: The Earthly Orchestra of the Astrological Aspects3. Differences over Divinity: Kepler’s Final Criticisms of FluddConclusionBibliographyIndex of PersonsIndex of PlacesIndex of Subjects