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

• Superior document: Medieval and early modern science ; v. 20
• VerfasserIn: Boner, Patrick,
• TeilnehmendeR: Boner, Patrick.
• Year of Publication: 2013
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: History of science and medicine library, v. 39; History of science and medicine library. Medieval and early modern science ; v. 20.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (201 p.)
• Notes: Based on the author's doctoral dissertation, University of Cambridge, 2007.

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.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material -- Introduction -- 1 Kepler’s Vitalistic View of the Heavens: Some Preliminary Remarks -- 2 Kepler’s Early Career in Astrology, 1594–1599 -- 3 The New Star of 1604 -- 4 The Comets of 1607 and 1618 -- 5 Kepler’s Apology -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Index of Persons -- Index of Places -- Index of Subjects.