Reading the Book of Nature in the Dutch Golden Age, 1575-1715 (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. Contents......Page 5 Preface......Page 9 Abbreviations......Page 13 List of Illustrations......Page 15 ‘Of this Book we can tell many a wonder . . .’......Page 23 Cartesianism as benchmark?......Page 34 Citations from the Book of Nature......Page 41 The study of the Book of Nature......Page 48 Liber, theatrum, speculum......Page 55 The heritage of the Reformation......Page 64 The Book of Nature in Dutch religious writings......Page 69 The decomposition of the classical corpus......Page 96 Rewriting the Book of Nature......Page 107 The Bible as a problematic text......Page 110 An interim balance......Page 127 1. Introduction......Page 131 Cometae, monstra, prodigia......Page 135 Comets in the Christian tradition......Page 139 The 1577 comet......Page 146 The 1618 comet......Page 149 The Further Reformation versus superstitious practices......Page 157 Humanists and prodigia......Page 161 Developments in natural philosophy: Descartes......Page 164 3. From ominous to glorious signs: the comet of 1664......Page 170 A ‘new saddening night light’......Page 171 Johannes Graevius and the Collège de Sçavants......Page 174 Natural laws and exegesis......Page 179 4. Conceptions of comets around 1700......Page 186 Voetians on the Book of Nature......Page 187 Balthasar Bekker......Page 189 ‘Expressions of God’s glory’......Page 195 5. Concluding remarks......Page 198 1. Introduction......Page 203 Classical conceptions of insects......Page 206 Insects in early modern Europe......Page 210 The humanist tradition (I): insects as emblems......Page 214 Clutius senior and junior......Page 216 Johannes Goedaert and Johannes de Mey......Page 223 The humanist tradition (II): insects under the magnifying glass......Page 231 3. Swammerdam and the transformation of the Book of Nature......Page 241 A biographical sketch......Page 244 Historia insectorum generalis......Page 249 The study of the Bible of Nature......Page 254 The influence of Swammerdam......Page 258 4. The insect bug around 1700......Page 261 Antoni van Leeuwenhoek......Page 262 Stephan Blankaart......Page 266 Collectors and insects......Page 269 5. Concluding remarks......Page 274 1. Introduction......Page 279 Musaeum, library, microcosm......Page 282 Italian examples......Page 285 2. Collections of curiosities in the Netherlands down to ca. 1660......Page 287 Bernardus Paludanus......Page 288 Collections of curiosities in Leiden......Page 300 Humanist collectors: Brinck, Colvius and De Laet......Page 311 Remote countries, ancient languages and biblical chronology......Page 322 3. From collection of curiosities to cabinet of naturalia......Page 331 The cabinet of Swammerdam senior......Page 333 Johannes Swammerdam: the order and structure of God’s works......Page 335 Frederik Ruysch: monsters in the margin......Page 341 4. Dutch collections around 1700......Page 347 Nicolaes Witsen: between the Flood and Babel......Page 348 Albertus Seba: merchant or minister?......Page 355 Levinus Vincent: the collection as Wondertoneel......Page 359 5. Concluding remarks......Page 363 1. Introduction......Page 369 Classical and Christian heritage......Page 371 Sixteenth-century works......Page 374 2. Books of Wonders in the Dutch Republic down to around 1660......Page 377 Boaistuau’s Wonderlijcke Schadt-boeck and Dutch followers......Page 378 Popular theological works......Page 384 3. Johannes de Mey: between exegesis and experiment......Page 391 The Sacra physiologia......Page 395 Halelu-jah, of lof de Heeren verbreydt op het natuer-toneel......Page 400 The work of De Mey in a wider perspective......Page 404 4. Books of wonders around 1700......Page 408 Jan van Westerhoven......Page 413 5. Concluding remarks......Page 418 The atheist convinced......Page 423 The Book of Nature and the Holy Scripture......Page 428 Concluding Remarks on the Book of Nature......Page 435 Bibliography......Page 443 Index of Names......Page 489 Contents 5 Preface 9 Abbreviations 13 List of Illustrations 15 Chapter One Introduction 23 ‘Of this Book we can tell many a wonder . . .’ 23 Cartesianism as benchmark? 34 Citations from the Book of Nature 41 The study of the Book of Nature 48 Chapter Two The Interpretation of the Book of Nature Down to Around 1660 55 1. The strength of tradition 55 Liber, theatrum, speculum 55 The heritage of the Reformation 64 The Book of Nature in Dutch religious writings 69 2. Two books up for discussion 96 The decomposition of the classical corpus 96 Rewriting the Book of Nature 107 The Bible as a problematic text 110 An interim balance 127 Chapter Three Comets: The Debate on the 'Wonders in the Heavens' 131 1. Introduction 131 Cometae, monstra, prodigia 135 Comets in the Christian tradition 139 2. Dutch views on comets down to around 1660 146 The 1577 comet 146 The 1618 comet 149 The Further Reformation versus superstitious practices 157 Humanists and prodigia 161 Developments in natural philosophy: Descartes 164 3. From ominous to glorious signs: the comet of 1664 170 A ‘new saddening night light’ 171 Johannes Graevius and the Collège de Sçavants 174 Natural laws and exegesis 179 4. Conceptions of comets around 1700 186 Voetians on the Book of Nature 187 Balthasar Bekker 189 ‘Expressions of God’s glory’ 195 5. Concluding remarks 198 Chapter Four Insects: 'The Wonders of God in the Humblest Creatures' 203 1. Introduction 203 Classical conceptions of insects 206 Insects in early modern Europe 210 2. The study of Insects in the Dutch Republic down to ca. 1660 214 The humanist tradition (I): insects as emblems 214 Clutius senior and junior 216 Johannes Goedaert and Johannes de Mey 223 The humanist tradition (II): insects under the magnifying glass 231 3. Swammerdam and the transformation of the Book of Nature 241 A biographical sketch 244 Historia insectorum generalis 249 The study of the Bible of Nature 254 The influence of Swammerdam 258 4. The insect bug around 1700 261 Antoni van Leeuwenhoek 262 Stephan Blankaart 266 Collectors and insects 269 5. Concluding remarks 274 Chapter Five Collections of Curiosities: 'A Book in which God has Gloriously Described Himself' 279 1. Introduction 279 Musaeum, library, microcosm 282 Italian examples 285 2. Collections of curiosities in the Netherlands down to ca. 1660 287 Bernardus Paludanus 288 Collections of curiosities in Leiden 300 Humanist collectors: Brinck, Colvius and De Laet 311 Remote countries, ancient languages and biblical chronology 322 3. From collection of curiosities to cabinet of naturalia 331 The cabinet of Swammerdam senior 333 Johannes Swammerdam: the order and structure of God’s works 335 Frederik Ruysch: monsters in the margin 341 4. Dutch collections around 1700 347 Nicolaes Witsen: between the Flood and Babel 348 Albertus Seba: merchant or minister? 355 Levinus Vincent: the collection as Wondertoneel 359 5. Concluding remarks 363 Chapter Six Books of Wonders: From Rarity to Regularity 369 1. Introduction 369 Classical and Christian heritage 371 Sixteenth-century works 374 2. Books of Wonders in the Dutch Republic down to around 1660 377 Boaistuau’s Wonderlijcke Schadt-boeck and Dutch followers 378 Popular theological works 384 3. Johannes de Mey: between exegesis and experiment 391 The Sacra physiologia 395 Halelu-jah, of lof de Heeren verbreydt op het natuer-toneel 400 The work of De Mey in a wider perspective 404 4. Books of wonders around 1700 408 Jan van Westerhoven 413 5. Concluding remarks 418 Chapter Seven The Book of Nature: From Axiom to Metaphor 423 The atheist convinced 423 The Book of Nature and the Holy Scripture 428 Concluding Remarks on the Book of Nature 435 Bibliography 443 Index of Names 489 Summary: 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 Picture Of Nature Was Partly Caused By The Pioneering Exegetical Research Conducted In The Dutch Republic, More Specifically, The Emergence Of Radical Biblical Criticism. The Interpretation Of The Book Of Nature Down To Around 1600 -- Comets : The Debate On The 'wonders Of The Heavens' -- Insects : 'the Wonders Of God In The Humblest Creatures' -- Collections Of Curiosities : A Book In Which God Has Gloriously Described Himself' -- Books Of Wonders : From Rarity To Regularity -- The Book Of Nature : From Axiom To Metaphor. By Eric Jorink ; Translated By Peter Mason. This Book Is A Revised And Translated Version Of Het Boeck Der Natuere. Nederlandse Geleerden En De Wonderen Van Gods Schepping, 1575-1716, Leiden 2006--t.p. Verso. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Translated From The Dutch. "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 picture of nature was partly caused by the pioneering exegetical research conducted in the Dutch Republic, more specifically, the emergence of radical biblical criticism."--Page 4 de la couverture Summary: 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 Ren��e 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 picture of nature was partly caused by the pioneering exegetical research conducted in the Dutch Republic, more specifically, the emergence of radical biblical criticism. The Conviction That Nature Was God's Second Revelation Played A Crucial Role In Early Modern Dutch Culture. This Book Offers A Fascinating Account On How Dutch Intellectuals Contemplated, Investigated, Represented And Collected Natural Objects, And How The Notion Of The 'book Of Nature' Was Transformed.