Medieval Science and Technology

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Elspeth Whitney

Book Code: GR2519

ISBN: 0-313-32519-7

ISBN-13: 978-0-313-32519-9

DOI:

304 pages, illustrations; photos

Greenwood Press

Publication: 10/30/2004

List Price: $49.95 (UK Sterling Price: £27.95)

Availability: In Stock

Media Type: Hardcover

Also Available: Ebook

Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4

Subjects:

Series Title: Greenwood Guides to Historic Events of the Medieval World

Reviews:

[W]ould be useful as a very basic course resource or as an introduction to the topic for general audiences. Recommended. General readers; lower-division undergraduates through graduate students.
—Choice June 2005
Medieval Science and Technology is recommended to libraries as a resource of interest to anyone who wants to know more about the Middle Ages, the development of science and technology, and the background of the astounding development of the West in the modern era.
—Catholic Library World June 2005
[S]urveys major changes of the era, examining the nature and methods of medieval inquiry from astronomy to chemistry and geography, discussing how technological inventions of the times changed world history, and including biographical sketches of the achievements of 20 selected men and women who contributed vastly to the changes in Medieval scientific thinking.
—MBR Bookwatch/Donovan's Bookshelf April 2005

Description: Medieval scientists, or natural philosophers, as they were then called, were powerfully influenced by the authority of older traditions, including Christianity and scientific ideas dating back to Plato, Aristotle, and Ptolemy. Yet their respect for these traditions was balanced by an equal respect for reason and the spirit of inquiry. Religious faith, far from dampening scientific and technological innovation, actually buttressed their efforts to understand the natural world as it was generally taken for granted that knowledge acquired through reason would harmonize with religious beliefs. While medieval science and technology did not seek to overthrow the prevailing worldviews of the time, their accomplishments did lay the groundwork for the scientific revolution and European global expansion of the early modern age. Medieval science and technology was firmly rooted in Aristotelian explanations of the physical world. The book begins by introducing the basic concepts of the classical tradition, and explains how these ideas were promulgated by the ancient Greeks, were preserved and commented on by the great Muslim scholars of the early middle ages, and finally transmitted into western Europe as that region began to grow and expand around 1100 C.E. Aristotle's natural philosophy is then given an extended treatment, since his descriptions of the natural world provided the intellectual jumping-off point used by every person grappling with the nature of the physical world during that era. Having provided the background needed to understand medieval inquiry on its own terms, specific avenues of inquiry such as Astronomy and Astrology, Optics, Chemistry and alchemy, zoology, geography, and medicine are carefully and clearly described on their own terms. Rounding out this engaging work is a discussion of the many technological innovations of the medieval age, such as mechanical clocks, firearms, and the blast furnace, that profoundly altered the course of European and world history. Biographical sketches provide insight into the lives and accomplishments of 20 men and women, Christian, Muslim, and pagan, whose works profoundly shaped the era's scientific spirit. Eleven annotated key primary documents afford a fascinating glimpse into how the best minds of the time posed their questions and their answers. An annotated timeline, glossary of terms, several illustrations, and an annotated bibliography round out the work.

Table of Contents:

List of Illustrations
Glossary
Series Foreword
Preface
Chronology of Events
Overview and History: The Classical Tradition and the Early Middle Ages
Institutional History: The High and Late Middle Ages
Aristotle's Natural Philosophy and the Medieval Scientific World View
The Exact Sciences: Mathematics, Astronomy and Cosmology, Astrology, Statics, Kinematics and Dynamics, Optics
The Biological and Earth Sciences: The Sciences of Matter (Chemistry and Alchemy), Medicine, Zoology, Botany, Geology and Meteorology, Geography
Medieval Technology
The Impact of Medieval Science and Technology
Biographies
Primary Documents
Annotated Bibliography

LC Card Number: 2004042498

LCC Class: Q124

Dewey Class: 509


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