Rienk Vermij
Biographic Data
| ID | 1013490 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Rienk Vermij |
| GIVEN NAMES | Rienk |
| FAMILY NAME | Vermij |
| SIGNATURE | VERMIJ R |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Oklahoma |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2663-4840 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 11 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 20 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1991 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Confessional and Mosaic Physics
Many (protestant) confessional philosophers claimed that physics should be exclusively based on the Bible, not on ancient pagan philosophy. At first sight, this program appears very similar to Mosaic philosophy. Still, there are important differences, as demonstrated by an analysis of three works by authors of different backgrounds, who all claimed the Bible was the sole authority on natural knowledge: Meteorologia by Johannes Garcaeus, Atlas by …
Conrad Gessner (1516–1565)
Conrad Gessner (1516–1565): Universal Scholar and Natural Scientist of the Renaissance. Urs B. Leu. Trans. Bill C. Ray. Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy and Science 38. Leiden: Brill, 2023. xix + 476 pp. $155. - Volume 78 Issue 1
Florentius Schuyl and the origin of the beast-machine controversy
The international debate on the animal machine was initiated by the preface that the Dutch philosopher and later professor of medicine Florentius Schuyl in 1662 added to his Latin translation of Descartes' Treatise on Man. Schuyl defended the animal machine in reaction to the vehement attacks, mostly in the vernacular, against the philosophy of Descartes in the Dutch Republic in the 1650s, wherein the theory of the animal machine had become one o…
Loath to Print
Reviewed by: Loath to Print: The Reluctant Scientific Author, 1500–1750 by Nicole Howard Rienk Vermij (bio) Loath to Print: The Reluctant Scientific Author, 1500–1750 By Nicole Howard. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022. Pp. 218. The invention of the printing press has generally been described as an unambiguous boon for the development of early science and scholarship. Scholars themselves, however, were often less sure about the bene…
Der frühneuzeitliche Kometendiskurs im Spiegel deutschsprachiger Flugschriften
An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content
Rethinking Stevin, Stevin Rethinking
This book studies the Dutch mathematician Simon Stevin (1548-1620) as a new type of ‘man of knowledge’. Traditionally, Stevin is best known for his contributions to the ‘Archimedean turn’. This innovative volume moves beyond this conventional image by bringing many other aspects of his work into view, by analysing the connections between the multiple strands of his thinking and by situating him in a broader European context. Like other multi-tale…
On the Function of Dedications in Early Modern Scientific Books
Historians of science have studied book dedications mostly as an expression of patronage relationships, but this was not their only reason of existence. In the first part of the article, the general functions of book dedications are analyzed. As a starting-point, the article uses one specific, fairly homogenous genre, the academic disputation. Dedicatees fall into three broad categories: parents and relatives, regents and nobles, and professors. …
Translating, Adapting, Mutilating
This essay discusses the European reception of Bernard Nieuwentijt’s physico-theology. Originally published in Dutch in 1715, his book was quickly translated into English (The Religious Philosopher) and from there into French (L’existence de Dieu); a German translation later followed. The book became one of the landmark titles of the eighteenth century. However, the translators made severe cuts in the text, sometimes to the point of completely ch…
The Marginalization of Astrology
Astrology was an integral part of university teaching in the Middle Ages.The discipline of astronomia comprehended not only the calculation of planetary orbits, but also the casting of horoscopes, the calculation of houses and aspects, the character of the various planets, and the like.Although the astronomical and astrological parts were separate and had their own textbooks, both domains were taught in the same body of education.However, startin…
The marginalization of astrology among Dutch astronomers in the first half of the 17th century
In the first half of the 17th century, Dutch astronomers rapidly abandoned the practice of astrology. By the second half of the century, no trace of it was left in Dutch academic discourse. This abandonment, in its early stages, does not appear as the result of criticism or skepticism, although such skepticism was certainly known in the Dutch Republic and leading humanist scholars referred to Pico's arguments against astrological predictions. The…
The Disordered Police State. German Cameralism as Science and Practice
I nstruments and the M aking of a P hilosopher . S pinoza's C areer in O ptics
Defending Copernicus and Galileo. Critical Reasoning in the two Affairs
Theology and Science in the Thought of Francis Bacon
Today, Brill’s extraordinary general meeting of shareholders (the "EGM") adopted all resolutions in relation to the Offer, including with respect to the approval of the Post-Closing Merger, the appointment of the nominated members to the Supervisory Board, the amendment of the Articles of Association and the grant of full and final discharge to the members of both the Management Board and the Supervisory Board
A Science of Signs. Aristotelian Meteorology in Reformation Germany
Luther, directly opposing the naturalism of Aristotelian natural philosophy, held that unusual events were often worked directly by either God or the devil, not by natural forces. His ideas were taken up and defended in a more philosophical way by authors like Joachim Camerarius and Caspar Peucer. At the university of Wittenberg, they deeply influenced the teaching of natural philosophy. The field most affected was meteorology (traditionally the …
Simon Stevin 1548–1620
Hossam Elkhadem and Wouter Bracke, eds. Simon Stevin 1548–1620: L’émergence de la nouvelle science. Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique. Turnhout: Brepols Publishers, 2004. 184 pp. illus. tbls. map. €37.74. ISBN: 2-503-51704-8. - Volume 59 Issue 1
De natuurfilosoof en de draak. Over de afbakening van het natuurlijke domein in Middeleeuwen en vroeg-moderne tijd
The formation of the Newtonian philosophy
In the eighteenth century, Newton's ideas were an important element of the dominant world view, but it was not immediately clear that they could play such a role. What made them seem philosophically relevant is investigated in the case of the Dutch Republic. At the universities people initially were rather sceptical about Newton's theories. Support came mainly from scientific amateurs who tried to place their religious feelings on a scientific fo…
Subterranean Fire. Changing Theories of the Earth During the Renaissance
Aristotle described the earth as a cold and dry body and paid no attention to the phenomenon of terrestrial heat. Renaissance physicians, by contrast, when seeking to understand the origin of hot springs in the context of their balneological studies, came to defend a theory of subterranean fires. This tradition, which started in Italy, became widely known through the works of Georgius Agricola. But although it had implications for the explanation…
Cijfers en Aequaties" en "Kennis der Staatskrachten
The formation of the Newtonian philosophy
In the eighteenth century, Newton's ideas were an important element of the dominant world view, but it was not immediately clear that they could play such a role. What made them seem philosophically relevant is investigated in the case of the Dutch Republic. At the universities people initially were rather sceptical about Newton's theories. Support came mainly from scientific amateurs who tried to place their religious feelings on a scientific fo…
The Marginalization of Astrology
Astrology was an integral part of university teaching in the Middle Ages.The discipline of astronomia comprehended not only the calculation of planetary orbits, but also the casting of horoscopes, the calculation of houses and aspects, the character of the various planets, and the like.Although the astronomical and astrological parts were separate and had their own textbooks, both domains were taught in the same body of education.However, startin…
Subterranean Fire. Changing Theories of the Earth During the Renaissance
Aristotle described the earth as a cold and dry body and paid no attention to the phenomenon of terrestrial heat. Renaissance physicians, by contrast, when seeking to understand the origin of hot springs in the context of their balneological studies, came to defend a theory of subterranean fires. This tradition, which started in Italy, became widely known through the works of Georgius Agricola. But although it had implications for the explanation…
The marginalization of astrology among Dutch astronomers in the first half of the 17th century
In the first half of the 17th century, Dutch astronomers rapidly abandoned the practice of astrology. By the second half of the century, no trace of it was left in Dutch academic discourse. This abandonment, in its early stages, does not appear as the result of criticism or skepticism, although such skepticism was certainly known in the Dutch Republic and leading humanist scholars referred to Pico's arguments against astrological predictions. The…
I nstruments and the M aking of a P hilosopher . S pinoza's C areer in O ptics
Cijfers en Aequaties" en "Kennis der Staatskrachten
Subterranean Fire. Changing Theories of the Earth During the Renaissance
Aristotle described the earth as a cold and dry body and paid no attention to the phenomenon of terrestrial heat. Renaissance physicians, by contrast, when seeking to understand the origin of hot springs in the context of their balneological studies, came to defend a theory of subterranean fires. This tradition, which started in Italy, became widely known through the works of Georgius Agricola. But although it had implications for the explanation…
The formation of the Newtonian philosophy
In the eighteenth century, Newton's ideas were an important element of the dominant world view, but it was not immediately clear that they could play such a role. What made them seem philosophically relevant is investigated in the case of the Dutch Republic. At the universities people initially were rather sceptical about Newton's theories. Support came mainly from scientific amateurs who tried to place their religious feelings on a scientific fo…
De natuurfilosoof en de draak. Over de afbakening van het natuurlijke domein in Middeleeuwen en vroeg-moderne tijd
Simon Stevin 1548–1620
Hossam Elkhadem and Wouter Bracke, eds. Simon Stevin 1548–1620: L’émergence de la nouvelle science. Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique. Turnhout: Brepols Publishers, 2004. 184 pp. illus. tbls. map. €37.74. ISBN: 2-503-51704-8. - Volume 59 Issue 1
Theology and Science in the Thought of Francis Bacon
Today, Brill’s extraordinary general meeting of shareholders (the "EGM") adopted all resolutions in relation to the Offer, including with respect to the approval of the Post-Closing Merger, the appointment of the nominated members to the Supervisory Board, the amendment of the Articles of Association and the grant of full and final discharge to the members of both the Management Board and the Supervisory Board
A Science of Signs. Aristotelian Meteorology in Reformation Germany
Luther, directly opposing the naturalism of Aristotelian natural philosophy, held that unusual events were often worked directly by either God or the devil, not by natural forces. His ideas were taken up and defended in a more philosophical way by authors like Joachim Camerarius and Caspar Peucer. At the university of Wittenberg, they deeply influenced the teaching of natural philosophy. The field most affected was meteorology (traditionally the …
Defending Copernicus and Galileo. Critical Reasoning in the two Affairs
I nstruments and the M aking of a P hilosopher . S pinoza's C areer in O ptics
The Disordered Police State. German Cameralism as Science and Practice
The marginalization of astrology among Dutch astronomers in the first half of the 17th century
In the first half of the 17th century, Dutch astronomers rapidly abandoned the practice of astrology. By the second half of the century, no trace of it was left in Dutch academic discourse. This abandonment, in its early stages, does not appear as the result of criticism or skepticism, although such skepticism was certainly known in the Dutch Republic and leading humanist scholars referred to Pico's arguments against astrological predictions. The…
The Marginalization of Astrology
Astrology was an integral part of university teaching in the Middle Ages.The discipline of astronomia comprehended not only the calculation of planetary orbits, but also the casting of horoscopes, the calculation of houses and aspects, the character of the various planets, and the like.Although the astronomical and astrological parts were separate and had their own textbooks, both domains were taught in the same body of education.However, startin…
On the Function of Dedications in Early Modern Scientific Books
Historians of science have studied book dedications mostly as an expression of patronage relationships, but this was not their only reason of existence. In the first part of the article, the general functions of book dedications are analyzed. As a starting-point, the article uses one specific, fairly homogenous genre, the academic disputation. Dedicatees fall into three broad categories: parents and relatives, regents and nobles, and professors. …
Translating, Adapting, Mutilating
This essay discusses the European reception of Bernard Nieuwentijt’s physico-theology. Originally published in Dutch in 1715, his book was quickly translated into English (The Religious Philosopher) and from there into French (L’existence de Dieu); a German translation later followed. The book became one of the landmark titles of the eighteenth century. However, the translators made severe cuts in the text, sometimes to the point of completely ch…
Rethinking Stevin, Stevin Rethinking
This book studies the Dutch mathematician Simon Stevin (1548-1620) as a new type of ‘man of knowledge’. Traditionally, Stevin is best known for his contributions to the ‘Archimedean turn’. This innovative volume moves beyond this conventional image by bringing many other aspects of his work into view, by analysing the connections between the multiple strands of his thinking and by situating him in a broader European context. Like other multi-tale…
Der frühneuzeitliche Kometendiskurs im Spiegel deutschsprachiger Flugschriften
An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content
Loath to Print
Reviewed by: Loath to Print: The Reluctant Scientific Author, 1500–1750 by Nicole Howard Rienk Vermij (bio) Loath to Print: The Reluctant Scientific Author, 1500–1750 By Nicole Howard. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022. Pp. 218. The invention of the printing press has generally been described as an unambiguous boon for the development of early science and scholarship. Scholars themselves, however, were often less sure about the bene…
Florentius Schuyl and the origin of the beast-machine controversy
The international debate on the animal machine was initiated by the preface that the Dutch philosopher and later professor of medicine Florentius Schuyl in 1662 added to his Latin translation of Descartes' Treatise on Man. Schuyl defended the animal machine in reaction to the vehement attacks, mostly in the vernacular, against the philosophy of Descartes in the Dutch Republic in the 1650s, wherein the theory of the animal machine had become one o…
Confessional and Mosaic Physics
Many (protestant) confessional philosophers claimed that physics should be exclusively based on the Bible, not on ancient pagan philosophy. At first sight, this program appears very similar to Mosaic philosophy. Still, there are important differences, as demonstrated by an analysis of three works by authors of different backgrounds, who all claimed the Bible was the sole authority on natural knowledge: Meteorologia by Johannes Garcaeus, Atlas by …
Conrad Gessner (1516–1565)
Conrad Gessner (1516–1565): Universal Scholar and Natural Scientist of the Renaissance. Urs B. Leu. Trans. Bill C. Ray. Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy and Science 38. Leiden: Brill, 2023. xix + 476 pp. $155. - Volume 78 Issue 1
Philosophy (16 works) · Epistemology (12 works) · History (12 works) · Philosophy (12 works) · History (9 works) · Art (7 works) · Classics (7 works) · Classics (6 works) · Political science (6 works) · Historical Philosophy and Science (5 works)