2019
New theories for new instruments
Publication
Publication
Fabrizio Mordente's proportional compass and the genesis of Giordano Bruno's atomist geometry
Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A , Volume 76
The aim of this article is to shed light on an understudied aspect of Giordano Bruno's intellectual biography, namely, his career as a mathematical practitioner. Early interpreters, especially, have criticized Bruno's mathematics for being “outdated” or too “concrete”. However, thanks to developments in the study of early modern mathematics and the rediscovery of Bruno's first mathematical writings (four dialogues on Fabrizio's Mordente proportional compass), we are in a position to better understand Bruno's mathematics. In particular, this article aims to reopen the question of whether Bruno anticipated the concept of infinitesimal quantity. It does so by providing an analysis of the dialogues on Mordente's compass and of the historical circumstances under which those dialogues were written.
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doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsa.2018.10.004, hdl.handle.net/1765/127007 | |
Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A | |
Organisation | Erasmus School of Philosophy |
Rossini, P. (2019). New theories for new instruments. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A, 76. doi:10.1016/j.shpsa.2018.10.004 |