MAX-PLANCK-INSTITUT FÜR WISSENSCHAFTSGESCHICHTE Max Planck Institute for the History of Science

Event

Mar 30, 2023
The Pyramid of Knowledge: Tracing the Roots of the Intellectual Background of the Florentine "Accademia Del Cimento"

First Page of the Diary Accademia del Cimento, drawings in brown ink, twelve volumes stacked pyramidally at the center of the page

Title page of [Alessandro Segni], Accademia del Cimento parte I. Fisica sperimentale vol. 2 - copia di una parte del diario. 1657. BNCF, Serie Ms. Gal. 261, fol. 7r.

In the first page of the 1657’s diary of the Accademia del Cimento, Alessandro Segni, at the time secretary of the group of scholars, depicted twelve volumes stacked pyramidally. The author's name is inscribed on the edge of the books, except on the penultimate one, where only the words 'Nova Filosofia' appear. The authors are arranged in a sort of ideal progression of natural philosophy, starting with Aristotle, and ending with Galileo.

The list that is thus configured encourages the reflection on the epistemological value of author-only lists, that in this case reveal how the academics of the Cimento perceived themselves and their activity.

The talk proposed will focus on the reconstruction of the natural-philosophical background—especially in the meteorological field—of the circle of scholars, taking as a starting point this peculiar “pyramid of knowledge,” to analyze then the various intellectual legacies in the space of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany during the seventeenth century.

Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/91031429847

Address
MPIWG, Boltzmannstraße 22, 14195 Berlin, Germany
Room
Room 219
Contact and Registration

For questions please contact Matteo Valleriani (valleriani@mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de)

2023-03-30T15:00:00SAVE IN I-CAL 2023-03-30 15:00:00 2023-03-30 17:00:00 The Pyramid of Knowledge: Tracing the Roots of the Intellectual Background of the Florentine "Accademia Del Cimento" Title page of [Alessandro Segni], Accademia del Cimento parte I. Fisica sperimentale vol. 2 - copia di una parte del diario. 1657. BNCF, Serie Ms. Gal. 261, fol. 7r. In the first page of the 1657’s diary of the Accademia del Cimento, Alessandro Segni, at the time secretary of the group of scholars, depicted twelve volumes stacked pyramidally. The author's name is inscribed on the edge of the books, except on the penultimate one, where only the words 'Nova Filosofia' appear. The authors are arranged in a sort of ideal progression of natural philosophy, starting with Aristotle, and ending with Galileo. The list that is thus configured encourages the reflection on the epistemological value of author-only lists, that in this case reveal how the academics of the Cimento perceived themselves and their activity. The talk proposed will focus on the reconstruction of the natural-philosophical background—especially in the meteorological field—of the circle of scholars, taking as a starting point this peculiar “pyramid of knowledge,” to analyze then the various intellectual legacies in the space of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany during the seventeenth century. Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/91031429847 MPIWG, Boltzmannstraße 22, 14195 Berlin, Germany Room 219 Europe/Berlin public