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?

导言：自然魔法(对无形力量运作的另一种解释，以前完全归因于神圣或恶魔机构的干预)最早出现在13世纪巴黎主教威廉的奥弗涅哲学著作中，他受到了他那个时代的神学家两个非传统来源的强烈影响：当代和中世纪前大众信仰的民族志，以及伊斯兰自然哲学，特别是与魔术、占星术和炼金术有关的哲学著作。他的自然魔法理论引发了西方思想的重要转变，在中世纪的自然哲学中发挥了至关重要的作用，产生了不依赖于超自然因素(神、魔等)的因果关系模型。这篇论文将通过对威廉的档案研究为历史研究提供大量新的原始资源，并将对他关于自然界中魔法和看不见的力量的著作进行亟需的分析。智力价值：对威廉的著作及其在13世纪和14世纪学术辩论中的作用进行批判性研究将对更好地理解西方思想中科学和宗教范式之间的历史斗争做出重要贡献，并可能被证明是处理这些冲突的哲学和修辞策略的有益恢复。这项研究将产生原创性的工作，将提高我们对威廉及其对后来自然思想家的影响的理解。从这个档案研究的基础上，可以得出以下关键问题的答案：同时也是自然哲学家(因此是中世纪的科学家)的神学家是如何谈判为科学和宗教创建不同的认识论类别的？威廉的人种学调查和情感是如何使他摆脱现有教义的？他将“高”、“低”和非西方的知识文化(如大学、教会、流行、神话、伊斯兰)作为可行的数据来源，这种非传统的方法在他的创新中提供了什么优势，即解释自然界中隐藏的力量，作为以前归因于灵魂活动的现象的原因机制？更广泛的影响：这项研究将通过解决这些问题来检验威廉创新的社会后果。在一个巨大的动荡时期，他是如何驾驭知识越轨的危险的--即，宫廷的不喜欢，对异端的指控，以及可能被驱逐出他的教会或大学职位--在一个巨大的动荡时期，这样的后果几乎是罕见的？魔术、科学和宗教的分离是如何在中世纪晚期世俗大学形成的背景下开始形成的，我们应该以什么方式开始修正关于科学和宗教之间的历史“战争”的假设寿命和性质的共同信念？更好地理解修辞策略，以及在中世纪晚期关于现代知识文化的自然魔法的辩论中，社会逐渐采用新的用语和范畴，会产生什么后果？