Doctoral Dissertation Research: Magic and the Mechanics of the Unseen in the Medieval Natural Philosophy of William of Auvergne, Bishop of Paris (c.1190-1249).

博士论文研究：巴黎主教奥弗涅的威廉（c.1190-1249）中世纪自然哲学中的魔法和看不见的力学。

• 批准号: 0823395
• 负责人: William Newman
• 金额: $ 1.2万
• 依托单位: Indiana University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-01-01 至 2009-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0823395&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Magic; Mechanics

Introduction: The idea of natural magic (an alternative explanation for the operation of unseen forces formerly attributed solely to the intervention of divine or demonic agencies) first emerged in the philosophical writings of a thirteenth-century bishop of Paris named William of Auvergne, who was strongly influenced by two unconventional sources for theologians of his time: the ethnography of contemporary and pre-medieval popular beliefs, and Islamic natural philosophy, particularly that pertaining to magic, astrology, and alchemy. His theory of natural magic initiated an important shift in Western thought that played a crucial role in medieval natural philosophy, generating models of causality which did not rely on supernatural agents (divine, demonic, etc.). This dissertation will provide substantial new primary resources for historical study through archival research into William, and will provide a much-needed analysis of his writings on magic and unseen forces in nature.Intellectual Merit: A critical study of William's writings and their role in the academic debates of the thirteenth and fourteenth century will be a crucial contribution to an improved understanding of the historical struggle between scientific and religious paradigms in Western thought, and may prove a useful recovery of philosophical and rhetorical strategies for managing these conflicts. The research will yield original work that will improve our understanding of William and his influence on later natural thinkers. From this base of archival study, answers to the following key questions can be derived: How did theologians who were also natural philosophers (and hence scientists of the Middle Ages) negotiate the creation of distinct epistemological categories for science and religion? How did William's ethnographical investigations and sensibilities enable him to break free of existing doctrine? In what ways did his unconventional approach of treating "high," "low," and non-Western cultures of knowing (e.g., university, ecclesiastical, popular, fabulous, Islamic) as viable sources of data provide an advantage in his innovation of an explanatory account of hidden forces in nature as causal mechanisms for phenomena previously attributed to the action of spirits?Broader Impacts: The study will examine social ramifications of William's innovations by addressing these questions. How did he navigate the perils of intellectual transgression--namely, courtly disfavor, accusations of heresy, and possible expulsion from his ecclesiastical or university post--during a time of tremendous upheaval where such ramifications were hardly rare? How does the separation of magic, science, and religion begin to take shape in the context of the formation of secular universities in the late Middle Ages, and in what ways should we begin to revise common beliefs about the assumed longevity and nature of the historical "war" between science and religion as a consequence? What are the ramifications of a better understanding of the rhetorical strategies and the gradual social adoption of new locutions and categories in debates over natural magic in the late Middle Ages for modern intellectual culture?

简介：自然魔术的想法（对以前看不见的力量运作的另一种解释，仅归因于神或恶魔机构的干预），首先出现在巴黎的哲学著作中，这是一个被众境的威廉（William of Auvergne）的威廉（William of Auvergne）的哲学著作，他受到了两个不可或缺的媒介，他在两个不可或缺的境界中受到了典型的流行。信仰和伊斯兰自然哲学，尤其是与魔术，占星术和炼金术有关的信念。他的自然魔术理论引发了西方思想的重要转变，在中世纪的自然哲学中起着至关重要的作用，从而产生了不依赖超自然代理人（神，恶魔等）的因果关系模型。这项论文将通过对威廉的档案研究为历史研究提供大量新的主要资源，并将对他对魔术和自然界中的魔法和看不见的作用进行急需的分析。智能研究：对威廉的著作及其在十三世纪和十四世纪的学术辩论中的作用的批判性研究将是对历史上的一项对历史斗争的重要贡献，对历史上的贡献以及对历史上的贡献的贡献，以及对历史上的依据，对历史上的斗争进行了艰巨的贡献。管理这些冲突的哲学和修辞策略。这项研究将产生原始工作，从而提高我们对威廉及其对后来自然思想家的影响的理解。从档案研究的基础来看，可以提出以下关键问题的答案：神学家也是自然哲学家（因此是中世纪的科学家）如何谈判创建科学和宗教的独特认识论类别？威廉的民族志调查和敏感性如何使他摆脱现有教义？他以什么方式对待“高”，“低”和非西方知识文化（例如大学，教会，受欢迎，流行，神话，伊斯兰教），作为可行的数据来源，在他对隐藏机制中的自然界机制中的范围进行了对现象的影响？通过解决这些问题来创新。他是如何应对智力犯罪的危险 - 即，法庭上的违法，对异端的指控以及可能被驱逐出他的教会或大学后的 - 陷入了巨大的剧变时代，而这种后果很少很少？魔术，科学和宗教的分离是如何在中世纪后期世俗大学形成的背景下开始形成的，以及我们应该以哪些方式开始修改对假定的寿命和历史“战争”科学与宗教之间假定的长寿和性质的共同信念？在中世纪晚期关于现代知识文化的自然魔法的辩论中，更好地理解对修辞策略的后果是什么？