Reading the Book of Nature in the Dutch Golden Age, 1575-1715

Erscheinungsjahr 2010
ISBN: 978-90-04-18671-2
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Band 191, 474 Seiten, Format (B × H): 172 mm x 255 mm, Gewicht: 942 g

Reihe: Brill's Studies in Intellectual History

Traditionally, Dutch scientific culture of the Golden Age is regarded as rational, pragmatic, and utilitarian. The role of Christiaan Huygens, Johannes Swammerdam and Antoni van Leeuwenhoek in the so called Scientific Revolution was recognised long ago, as was the fact that the revolutionary philosophy of René Descartes made its first impact in the Netherlands.
This book challenges the traditional picture. First, it shows how nature was regarded as a second book of God, next to the Bible. For many, contemplating, investigating, representing and collecting natural objects was a religious activity. Secondly, this book demonstrates that the deconstruction of the old view of nature was partly caused by the pioneering exegetical research conducted in the Dutch Republic, more specifically, the emergence of radical biblical criticism.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Jorink, Eric

Weitere Mitwirkende

Mason, Peter

Fachgebiete

• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften: Allgemeines Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften, Formalen Wissenschaften & Technik
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Europäische Länder
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften Interdisziplinär Religion & Wissenschaft
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Europäische Geschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Wissenschafts- und Universitätsgeschichte
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften: Allgemeines Geschichte der Human- und Sozialwissenschaften
• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religion & Wissenschaft
• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Systematische Theologie Christliche Theologie und die Wissenschaften

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface
Abbreviations
List of Illustrations

1. Introduction

2. The Interpretation of the Book of Nature down to around 1660
2.1.The Strength of Tradition
2.2 Two Books up for Discussion

3. Comets: The Debates on the ‘Wonders in the Heavens’
3.1. Introduction
3.2. Dutch views on Comets down to around 1660
3.3. From Ominous to Glorious Signs: the Comet of 1664
3.4. Conceptions of Comets around 1700
3.5. Concluding Remarks

4. Insects: ‘The Wonders of God in the Humblest Creatures’
4.1. Introduction.
4.2. The Study of Insects in the Dutch Republic down to ca. 1660
4.3. Swammerdam and the Transformation of the Book of Nature
4.4. The Insect Bug around 1700
4.5. Concluding Remarks

5. Collections of Curiosities: ‘A Book in which God has gloriously described Himself’
5.1. Introduction
5.2. Collections of Curiosities in the Netherlands down to ca. 1660
5.3. From Collection of Curiosities to Cabinet of Naturalia
5.4. Dutch Collections around 1700
5.5. Concluding Remarks

6. Books of Wonders: from Rarity to Regularity
6.1. Introduction
6.2. Books of Wonders in the Dutch Republic down to around 1660
6.3. Johannes de Mey: Between Exegesis and Experiment
6.4. Books of Wonders around 1700
6.5. Concluding Remarks

7. The Book of Nature: from Axiom to Metaphor

Bibliography
Index of Names

Über Autor(innen)

Eric Jorink (1963), Ph.D. in History cum laude, University of Groningen, is researcher at the Huygens Institute (Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences), The Hague. The Dutch edition of this book was granted a research award by the prestigious Praemium Erasmianum Foundation.