Animism in Early Modern Astronomy: Johannes Kepler's Vitalistic View of the Heavens

Boner Patrick J, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

Introduction This project will examine the role of vitalistic (life-force) principles in Kepler's astronomy. Though often considered an early forerunner of the mechanical world view in light the celestial physics presented in his New Astronomy (1609), which offers only a limited view of his system of astronomical causes. By contrast, his study of the supernova of 1604, On the New Star (1606), Kepler compares the origins of comets and 'new stars' to the products of a cyclical process of decay and renewal occurring in the body of an animal. Kepler's application of anatomical knowledge to the ethereal body of the heavens suggests a broader understanding of his celestial physics, one that makes better sense of the dynamic course of the cosmos as a whole. Begun after the bulk of the New Astronomy was already complete, On the New Star was a counterpart, rather than a 'less modern' qualification, of Kepler's pioneering conception of planetary forces. Intellectual Merit This project will shed new light on the relation of Kepler's two texts, elucidating the inseparable links between his ideas of agency in astronomy and other areas of interest, especially astrology and music. By comparing Kepler's ideas with those of his intellectual contemporaries, this project will also deepen and diversify our understanding of early modern physics more generally, challenging us to bridge gaps between ideas of agency and cause in the fields of mathematics, medicine, and natural philosophy. Potential Broader Impacts The results of this research will ultimately lead to two primary products: (1) a monograph study of Kepler's vitalistic views over the course of his career, and (2) the first-ever English translation, with an introduction and notes, of Kepler's On the New Star. In each of these efforts, the PI will work towards breaking down the modern dichotomy of vitalistic and mechanistic principles and restoring their close and complex links in the context of early modern science. This will be done in large part by building on the recent studies of seventeenth-century anatomy and medicine and drawing attention to their relevance for Kepler's astronomy and other 'less modern' areas of interest. While the monograph study will appeal to a wide variety of historians and philosophers of science, the translation of Kepler's On the New Star will attract an even wider audience of scholars, students, and scientific enthusiasts more generally.