PhilSci Archive

JOAN BAPTISTA VAN HELMONT AND THE QUESTION OF EXPERIMENTAL MODERNISM

Ducheyne, Steffen (2006) JOAN BAPTISTA VAN HELMONT AND THE QUESTION OF EXPERIMENTAL MODERNISM. [Preprint]

[img] Microsoft Word (.doc)
Van_Helmont.doc

Download (1MB)

Abstract

In this paper, I take up the question to what extent and in which sense we can conceive of Johannes Baptista Van Helmont’s (1579-1644) style of experimenting as “modern”. Connected to this question, I shall reflect upon what Van Helmont’s precise contribution to experimental practice was. I will argue - after analysing some of Van Helmont's experiments such as his tree-experiment, ice-experiment, and thermoscope experiment - that Van Helmont had a strong preference to locate experimental designs in places wherein variables can be more easily controlled (and in the limit, in relatively closed physical systems such as paradigmatically the vessel, globe or sphere (vas, globus, sphera)). After having reviewed some alternative candidates, I shall argue that Van Helmont’s usage of relatively isolated physical systems and a moderate degree of quantification, whereby mathematical procedures mainly refer to guaranteeing that quantities are conserved by roughly determining them, are the characteristics that best captures his contributions to “modern” experimentation.


Export/Citation: EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL
Social Networking:
Share |

Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Ducheyne, Steffen
Keywords: J.B. Van Helmont (1579-1644), Ortus Medicinae, Dageraad, controlled experimentation, scientia operativa, quantification, (relatively) closed physical systems, scientific methodology
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Chemistry
General Issues > Experimentation
General Issues > History of Science Case Studies
Depositing User: Steffen Ducheyne
Date Deposited: 10 Apr 2006
Last Modified: 07 Oct 2010 15:14
Item ID: 2701
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Chemistry
General Issues > Experimentation
General Issues > History of Science Case Studies
Date: April 2006
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/2701

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item