Exchange of knowledge through translation : Jan Baptista Van Helmont and his editors and translators in the seventeenth century
This thesis is a case study illustrating the circulation of scientific knowledge as achieved through translation in the seventeenth century. Providing the foundation of education in the liberal arts, Latin had an enormous influence on written science in the early modern period. This was evident not just on the level of the vocabulary. Latin grammar structured thought, and thereby extended the influence of the language to an epistemological level. However, the authority of Latin was increasingly contested throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. To examine this shift of authority away from Latin to the vernacular languages, and to examine the way this impacted upon both the theory and practice of science, I have focused on the Flemish physician and alchemist Jan Baptista van Helmont (1579-1644). Van Helmont provides a highly revealing case study for multiple reasons: he himself wrote in both Latin and the Dutch vernacular; he had very clear ideas about translation and its relationship to the acquisition of knowledge; finally, his works were translated into English, French and German within forty years after his death. In the first two chapters I examine Van Helmontâs use of language in the two
Fransen, Sietske
Culture ; Language & Literature ; History
Exchange of knowledge through translation : Jan Baptista Van Helmont and his editors and translators in the seventeenth century. This thesis is a case study illustrating the circulation of scientific knowledge as achieved through translation in the seventeenth century. Providing the foundation of education in the liberal arts, Latin had an enormous influence on written science in the early modern period. This was evident not just on the level of the vocabulary. Latin grammar structured thought, and thereby extended the influence of the language to an epistemological level. However, the authority of Latin was increasingly contested throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. To examine this shift of authority away from Latin to the vernacular languages, and to examine the way this impacted upon both the theory and practice of science, I have focused on the Flemish physician and alchemist Jan Baptista van Helmont (1579-1644). Van Helmont provides a highly revealing case study for multiple reasons: he himself wrote in both Latin and the Dutch vernacular; he had very clear ideas about translation and its relationship to the acquisition of knowledge; finally, his works were translated into English, French and German within forty years after his death. In the first two chapters I examine Van Helmontâs use of language in the two
exchange knowledge translation editor translator case_study illustrate circulation scientific_knowledge achieve translation providing foundation education liberal art latin enormous influence write science evident level vocabulary latin grammar structure think thereby extend influence language epistemological level however authority latin increasingly contest throughout examine shift authority away latin vernacular_language examine_way impact_upon theory_practice science focus physician provide highly reveal case_study multiple reason write latin dutch vernacular clear idea translation relationship acquisition knowledge finally work translate_english french_german within death first_two examine use language