Kepler's cosmological synthesis [electronic resource] : astrology, mechanism and the soul / by Patrick J. Boner.

ISBN:

9789004246096

9781299690981

Title:

Kepler's cosmological synthesis [electronic resource] : astrology, mechanism and the soul / by Patrick J. Boner.

Author:

Boner, Patrick, author.

Personal Author:

Boner, Patrick, author.

Publication Information:

Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2013.

Physical Description:

1 online resource.

Series:

History of science and medicine library, v. 39 ; Medieval and early modern science ; volume 20

General Note:

Based on the author's doctoral dissertation, University of Cambridge, 2007.

Contents:

Kepler's Clockwork Metaphor -- Spiritual Agency in Kepler's Astrology -- Threads of Continuity in Kepler's Cosmology -- Not All Astrologers Created Equally: Kepler's Perception of His Practice -- Conserving the Kernel: Kepler's Early Conception of the Astrological Aspects -- From the Earth to Humanity: Further Effects of the Astrological Aspects -- The Weight of Proof: Observational Evidence for the Astrological Aspects -- The Multiple Purposes of On the New Star -- The Soul of the Earth: Instinctual Responses to the Astrological Aspects -- Finding Middle Ground: The Soul of the Earth and the Surrounding Cosmos -- Philosophical Marvel and Theological Miracle: The Many Meanings of the New Star -- The Role of Divine Providence in Kepler's Cometary Theory -- Clarifying Curvature and the Rectilinear Course of Comets -- Celestial Sympathy and Earthly Knowledge of Comets -- Situating the Soul of the Earth: Elemental Instruments and their Animate Impetus -- Configurations and Consonances: The Earthly Orchestra of the Astrological Aspects -- Differences over Divinity: Kepler's Final Criticisms of Fludd.

Local Note:

eBooks on EBSCOhost

Subject Term:

Cosmology -- History.

Astronomy -- History.

Format:

Electronic Resources

Electronic Access:

Click here to view

Publication Date:

2013

Publication Information:

Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2013.

Available:*

Shelf Number	Material Type	Copy	Shelf Location	Status
523.1092 23	1:E-BOOK	1	1:ONLINE	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

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.

Reviews (1)

Choice Review

Popular accounts and popular conceptions of Kepler as an outstanding observer and scientist often discuss minimally (or not at all) his complex relations with religion, philosophy, and astrology, along with his astronomic metaphors related to the universe's organic properties. An earlier excellent biography, Job Kozhamthadam's The Discovery of Kepler's Laws (CH, Sep'94, 32-0277) tends to emphasize Kepler's observational tools and his discovery of what is now known as Kepler's three laws of planetary motion. Boner (visiting scholar, Johns Hopkins Univ.) based this work on his PhD thesis. It is well documented with an enormous bibliography and is rich with detail, presenting a man whose thinking and interaction with fellow workers reflected a then popular view of the universe as being analogous to a living object, yet also analogous to a machine. Observations that seemed to conflict with the machine perspective were often dismissed and considered fundamentally unpredictable. Even astrology found its way into Kepler's thinking and was easily absorbed. This is a fascinating, unusually well-done biography, although the details sometimes become a bit heavy. It both illuminates Kepler as a man and helps readers understand the scientific and philosophic perspectives of the period in which he lived. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic, general, and professional library collections. K. L. Schick emeritus, Union College (NY)