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The Speculum Astronomiae and Its Enigma

Astrology, Theology and Science in Albertus Magnus and his Contemporaries

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  • © 1992

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Part of the book series: Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science (BSPS, volume 135)

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Table of contents (13 chapters)

  1. Traditions, Collections and Heritage

Keywords

About this book

The attribution of the Speculum Astronomiae to Albertus Magnus became a controversial issue only recently, when the great neo-Thomist historian Pierre Mandonnet suggested -- without any antecedents -- that the author was Roger Bacon rather than Albert. Mandonnet's theses were refuted by Lynn Thorndike and have since then been the subject of widespread discussion.
The present historiographical case-study considers this debate in the light of an analysis of texts by Albert himself, as well as other important authors, such as Bacon, Bonaventura, Thomas Aquinas, Witelo, Campanus of Novara, and others, which shows how widespread the general concept of the influence of the stars and other astrological ideas to be found in the Speculum were. Most of the scientific ideas of the Middle Ages were based on principles derived from the notion of celestial influence and its consequences. The Speculum drew the fundamental outlines of this discipline into a theoretical and bibliographical introduction -- no small achievement -- and was consequently greeted with great interest and used as a standard reference book for many centuries. Set against the background of discussions taking place in the 1260s, within the Dominican Order as well as in the Faculties of Arts, Zambelli removes all doubt that the Speculum was written by Albert, possibly with some collaboration.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Dipartimento di Filosofia, Universitá di Firenze, Italy

    Paola Zambelli

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: The Speculum Astronomiae and Its Enigma

  • Book Subtitle: Astrology, Theology and Science in Albertus Magnus and his Contemporaries

  • Authors: Paola Zambelli

  • Series Title: Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3467-7

  • Publisher: Springer Dordrecht

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

  • Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 1992

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-7923-1380-9Published: 30 April 1992

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-90-481-4098-5Published: 15 December 2010

  • eBook ISBN: 978-94-017-3467-7Published: 21 December 2013

  • Series ISSN: 0068-0346

  • Series E-ISSN: 2214-7942

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVI, 352

  • Topics: History, general, Medieval Philosophy, Non-Western Philosophy, Philosophy of Science

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