On Joachim Jungius’ Texturæ Contemplatio: Texture, Weaving and Natural Philosophy in the 17th Century (International Archives of the History of Ideas ... internationales d'histoire des idées, 249)

The book offers an analysis of Joachim Jungius’ Texturæ Contemplatio - a hitherto-unpublished manuscript written in German and Latin that deals with weaving, knitting and other textile practices, attempting to present as well various fabrics and textile techniques in a scientifical and even mathematical framework. The book aims to provide the epistemological, technical and historic framework for Jungius’ manuscript, inspecting fabrics, weaving techniques as well as looms and other textile machines in Holy Roman Empire during the Early Modern Period. It also offers a unique investigation of the notion and metaphor of ‘texture’ during this period, and explores, within the wider context of the ‘meeting’ or ‘trading zones’ thesis, the relations between artisans and natural philosophers during the 17th century. The book is of interest to historians of philosophy and mathematics, as well as historians of technology. Acknowledgments Contents Chapter 1: Introduction: Textiles, Texture and Natural Philosophy in the 17th Century 1.1 On Jungius, His Nachlass and Texturæ Contemplatio 1.1.1 Texturæ Contemplatio: Structure, Content and History of Transmission 1.2 Texturæ Contemplatio Between the Two Narratives? 1.2.1 On Texture and Weaving Metaphors 1.3 The Structure of the Book Abbreviations Bibliography Chapter 2: The Historical, Scientific and Philosophical Background of Texturæ Contemplatio 2.1 Textile Practices, Looms and Textile Artisans in the 17th Century 2.1.1 Global developments in the textile industry: the stocking frame 2.1.2 Global developments in the textile industry: the ribbon loom 2.1.3 Local developments, unique machines, specific notations 2.1.3.1 The drum-machine and the crumb-machine 2.1.3.2 Local notation techniques 2.2 Natural Philosophers and Textile Practices in the 17th Century 2.2.1 Prologue in the 16th century: from Recorde’s foundation of “Geometrye” to de Alcega’s Libro de geometria 2.2.2 The 17th century: Bacon and Descartes. Weaving between empiricism and rationalism 2.2.3 Hartlib’s “petit mystere” 2.2.4 Gassendi’s “woven atoms” 2.2.5 Hooke and Power: textiles through the magnifying glass 2.2.6 Comenius, Boyle, Locke: metaphysically unfolding the notion of ‘texture’ 2.2.7 The end of the 17th century: the (too) many ramifications of ‘texture’ Abbreviations Bibliography Chapter 3: The Translation of Jungius’ Texturæ Contemplatio 3.1 On the structure of the translation of Texturæ Contemplatio 3.2 The Translation of Texturæ Contemplatio 3.3 Appendix: Glossary of German and Latin textile-related terms Bibliography Chapter 4: On Jungius’ Texturæ Contemplatio 4.1 Textual Analysis of Texturæ Contemplatio: Order, Form and Variations 4.1.1 The current physical arrangement 4.1.3 Conclusion: structuring and restructuring 4.2 Mathematical Reflections and Empirical Investigations 4.2.1 Jungius and the role of mathematics 4.2.2 How should one practice geometry? 4.2.3 A geometry of weaving in Texturæ Contemplatio? 4.2.3.1 ‘Definitions’ and ‘theorems’ 4.2.3.2 Arithmetical reflections 4.2.3.3 Jungius on ‘situs’ and ‘ad scientiam situs’ 4.2.3.4 Knitting vs. weaving: sinuous curves, lettered threads 4.2.3.5 Detour: Leibniz and Vandermonde on knitted structures 4.2.4 Jungius and the structure of materials 4.2.4.1 Jungius on the notion of ‘textura’ 4.2.5 Optical investigations: microscope, optics and diagrammatic observations 4.2.6 Conclusion: ‘textura’ as a rhizomatic notion 4.3 Jungius on Artisanal Practices I: Classification and Terminology of Weaves and Textiles 4.3.1 Classification of textile practices 4.3.2 Invented and unclear terminology 4.4 Jungius on Artisanal Practices II: Artisans in Practice 4.4.1 Places of weaving and weavers 4.4.2 The practical aspects of artisanal practices: weaving and knitting 4.4.3 Before (preparing the loom) and after (the fabric is ready) 4.5 Citations, Implicit Excerpts and Dictionaries 4.5.1 Explicit citations 4.5.2 Implicit references 4.5.3 Dictionaries 4.6 Conclusion. A Precarious Rhizome: Weaving as a Site of Knowledge 4.6.1 Texturæ Contemplatio as precarious 4.6.1.1 The question of credibility 4.6.2 From ephemeral traces to durable theorems? 4.6.3 Texturæ Contemplatio as a collection of facts? 4.6.4 Who trades and what is traded in the ‘trading zone’? Abbreviations Bibliography Chapter 5: After Jungius: Leibniz on Textiles, Weaving and Texturæ Contemplatio 5.1 Leibniz on Jungius 5.2 Leibniz and Texturæ Contemplatio 5.2.1 1675–1678: Combinatorics, “Geometria Amoenior” and the abstraction of “materia” 5.2.2 1678–1685: Copying Texturæ Contemplatio and Other Notes on Textiles 5.2.2.1 Jungius’ Logica de notionibus 5.2.3 From 1687 onward: an unfulfilled wish 5.3 Leibniz on Tunics and Stockings 5.3.1 Leibniz on Folded Tunics 5.3.2 Leibniz on the Stocking Frame 5.3.2.1 Johann Joachim Becher on the stocking frame 5.3.3 Leibniz on the Ribbon Loom 5.4 Rereading Texturæ Contemplatio: a Fabric Unraveled 5.5 Appendix: Leibniz’s Notes on the Stocking Frame Abbreviations Bibliography Chapter 6: Conclusion: A Fabric Rewoven Bibliography Abbreviations Bibliography Index