Humanism in an Age of Science: The Amsterdam Athenaeum in the Golden Age, 1632-1704 (Brill's Studies in Intellectual History)

449 Pages·2009·3 MB·English

by  Dirk van Miert

Humanism in an Age of Science
Brill’s Studies in
Intellectual History
General Editor
A.J. Vanderjagt, University of Groningen
Editorial Board
C.S. Celenza, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
M. Colish, Oberlin College
J.I. Israel, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton
W. Otten, University of Chicago
VOLUME 179
Humanism in an Age of Science
Th e Amsterdam Athenaeum in the
Golden Age, 1632–1704
By
Dirk van Miert
Translated by
Michiel Wielema, with Anthony Ossa-Richardson
LEIDEN • BOSTON
2009
On the cover: Eighteenth-century engraving, coloured, of the Athenaeum Illustre (Pierre
Fouquet, Afb eeldingen van de wyd-vermaarde koopstad Amsterdam, benevens des zelvs
voornaamste gebouwen en gezigten, alle naar het leeven geteekend, Amsterdam 1780,
no. 28 (University Library Amsterdam, shelf mark OTM: OL 63–684).
Th is book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Miert, Dirk van.
[Illuster onderwijs. English]
Humanism in an age of science : the Amsterdam Athenaeum in the Golden Age,
1632-1704 / by Dirk K.W. van Miert.
p. cm. — (Brill’s studies in intellectual history, 0920-8607 ; v. 179)
Includes index.
ISBN 978-90-04-17685-0 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Universiteit van Amsterdam—
History—17th century. 2. Athenaeum Illustre (Amsterdam, Netherlands)—History—
17th century. 3. Education, Higher—Netherlands—A msterdam—History—17th
century. 4. Universities and colleges—Netherlands—Amsterdam—History—17th
century. 5. Amsterdam (Netherlands)—Intellectual life—17th century. I. Title. II. Series.
LF4077.M5413 2009
378.492’352—dc22
2009021766
Th is book is a revised and translated version of Illuster Onderwijs. Het Amsterdamse
Athenaeum in de Gouden Eeuw, 1632-1704, Amsterdam 2005.
Th is publication was made possible by a translation grant from the Netherlands
Organisation for Scientifi c Research (NWO). Th e illustrations were sponsored by the
University of Amsterdam Historiography Committee.
ISSN 0920-8607
ISBN 978 9004 17685 0
Copyright 2009 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, Th e Netherlands.
Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing,
IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP.
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printed in the netherlands
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements .............................................................................. xi
List of Illustrations .............................................................................. xiii
PART I
A HISTORY
Introduction .......................................................................................... 3
Th e university that was never founded ....................................... 3
Th e myth of the wise merchant .................................................... 3
A scarcity of sources ....................................................................... 5
Th e historiography of Athenaeum and University .................... 10
Research question ............................................................................ 17
Structure of this book ..................................................................... 18
Editorial principles .......................................................................... 20
Chapter One Higher Education in the Low Countries .............. 21
Foundations ...................................................................................... 21
A nursery for the state .................................................................... 22
A nursery for the church ............................................................... 24
Advantages for the city .................................................................. 25
Advantages for the parents ............................................................ 29
Th e specifi c function of an illustrious school ............................. 30
Th e practical utility of knowledge ................................................ 35
Th e controversial start of the Amsterdam Athenaeum ............ 40
Chapter Two An Amsterdam Cortege .......................................... 45
Th e inauguration of the Illustrious School ................................. 45
Th e fi rst period: “Th e illustrious beginning” .............................. 47
Vossius and Barlaeus: the workaholic and the
melancholic .............................................................................. 49
‘Th e illusions of Martinus Hortenius’ ..................................... 55
Cabeliau’s commas ..................................................................... 60
Christianus Ravius, an ‘extraordinary teacher’ ...................... 64
Th e end of the fi rst period ........................................................ 67
vi contents
Th e second period ........................................................................... 68
Johannes Klenckius: Royal knight, Lord of Odessa, and a
‘silly and empty-headed man’ .............................................. 68
Th e respectable philosopher Arnoldus Senguerdius ............. 70
Alexander de Bie: versatile and long-serving ......................... 73
Albertus Rusius: able enough ................................................... 75
Johannes Christenius, the marriage specialist ....................... 76
David Blondel’s obscure words ................................................ 77
Th e scandals and talents of Alexander Morus ....................... 79
Keuchenius: ‘hateful and detestable to the Muses’ ............... 85
To good to be true: Graevius, Gronovius and Gudius ......... 87
Marcus Meiboom; hungry rogue and wandering
inventor .................................................................................... 88
Th e many activities of Gerard Blasius ..................................... 92
Th e end of the second period ................................................... 93
Th e third period .............................................................................. 95
Louis Wolzogen: a Cartesian halfway between Spinoza and
De Labadie ............................................................................... 96
Th e ‘princeps philosophiae’ Johannes de Raei ....................... 97
Th e public relations of Petrus Francius .................................. 100
Johannes van den Broeck, who ‘did not become famous’ ... 102
Pieter Bernagie: playwright, corpse cutter and
‘ground beetle’ ......................................................................... 104
Morinus’ modesty ....................................................................... 105
Gerbrandus van Leeuwen, preacher of tolerance .................. 107
Gregorius Leti: a literary adventurer ....................................... 107
Th e end of the third period ....................................................... 109
Conclusion ............................................................................................ 110
PART II
TEACHING PRACTICES
Chapter Th ree Private teaching ...................................................... 115
Introduction ..................................................................................... 115
Variables in private teaching ......................................................... 116
Location of private teaching ..................................................... 117
Organisation of private teaching .............................................. 120
Regular and non-regular students ................................................ 126
contents vii
Regular and non-regular teachers ................................................ 129
Conclusion ........................................................................................ 133
Chapter Four Public teaching ........................................................ 135
Introduction ..................................................................................... 135
Th e lectio publica ............................................................................ 135
Praelectiones and lectiones publicae ............................................ 136
Audience composition .................................................................... 142
Conclusions ...................................................................................... 148
Chapter Five Semi-public teaching ............................................... 149
Introduction ..................................................................................... 149
Th e disputation ................................................................................ 149
Th e didactic aspects of the disputation ................................... 149
External characteristics of the disputation ............................. 151
Authorship ................................................................................... 153
Th e ceremony .............................................................................. 156
Th e practice oration ........................................................................ 160
Practical education .......................................................................... 164
Conclusion ........................................................................................ 165
Chapter Six Holidays, timetables and absences .......................... 167
Introduction ..................................................................................... 167
Th e academic year ........................................................................... 167
Series Lectionum .............................................................................. 170
Absences ............................................................................................ 175
Conclusion ........................................................................................ 180
PART III
THE CONTENTS OF TEACHING
Chapter Seven Th e arts I: the rhetorical subjects
Introduction ..................................................................................... 185
Philosophy and the arts ............................................................. 186
Th e infl uence of the humanists: rhetoric as a cohesive
component ............................................................................... 188
History, politics, classical literature and rhetoric .................. 189
History and eloquence .................................................................... 192
Vossius (1632–1649) .................................................................. 192
viii contents
Failure and decline (1650–1670) .............................................. 196
Wolzogen (1670–1690) .............................................................. 199
Francius (1674–1704) ................................................................. 202
Oriental languages ........................................................................... 210
Introduction ................................................................................. 210
Ravius (1646–1647) .................................................................... 212
De Bie (1653–1690) .................................................................... 214
Morinus (1686–1700) ................................................................. 215
Conclusions ...................................................................................... 218
Chapter Eight Th e arts II: the philosophical subjects ................ 221
General introduction ...................................................................... 221
Th ree periods: Barlaeus, Senguerdius and De Raei ................... 225
Th e wise merchant ...................................................................... 226
Th e true philosopher .................................................................. 229
Th e wisdom of the ancients ...................................................... 230
Th ree periods: conclusions ........................................................ 232
Logic .................................................................................................. 232
Introduction ................................................................................. 232
Logic: the fi rst period ................................................................. 235
Logic: the second period ............................................................ 237
Logic: the third period ............................................................... 241
Logic: conclusion ........................................................................ 245
Physics and mathematics ............................................................... 246
Introduction ................................................................................. 246
Physics and mathematics: the fi rst period .............................. 247
Physics and mathematics: the second period ........................ 255
Th e debate over comets ......................................................... 259
Meteorology ............................................................................ 264
Other physical subjects ......................................................... 267
Physics and mathematics: the third period ............................ 269
Physics and mathematics: conclusion ..................................... 272
Moral philosophy ............................................................................ 275
Introduction ................................................................................. 275
Ethica ............................................................................................ 276
Oeconomica ................................................................................. 280
Politica: the fi rst period ............................................................. 281
Politica: the second period ........................................................ 285
Politica: the third period ............................................................ 287
Moral philosophy: conclusion .................................................. 288
Philosophy at the Athenaeum: conclusion ................................. 289
contents ix
Chapter Nine Th e teaching of law ................................................. 297
Introduction ..................................................................................... 297
Th e fi rst period ................................................................................ 299
Th e second period ........................................................................... 302
Th e third period .............................................................................. 306
Conclusion ........................................................................................ 308
Chapter Ten Th e teaching of medicine ........................................ 309
Introduction ..................................................................................... 309
Developments in medicine ............................................................ 309
Th e Amsterdam medical world .................................................... 311
Premature plans ............................................................................... 313
Senguerdius (1648–1667) ............................................................... 315
Blasius (1660–1685) ........................................................................ 319
Bernagie (1692–1699) ..................................................................... 324
Conclusion ........................................................................................ 327
Chapter Eleven Th e teaching of theology .................................... 329
Introduction ..................................................................................... 329
Th e Athenaeum and the Remonstrant Seminary ...................... 331
Th e Athenaeum and the other religious denominations .......... 335
Th eological ideas in teaching prior to Van Leeuwen ................ 336
Gerbrandus van Leeuwen .............................................................. 344
Conclusion ........................................................................................ 347
PART IV
CONCLUSION AND APPENDICES
Chapter Twelve Conclusion ............................................................ 351
Introduction ..................................................................................... 351
Th e Athenaeum as a traditional institute of higher
education ...................................................................................... 351
Th e Athenaeum as a city venture ................................................. 354
Th e Athenaeum in the academic landscape ............................... 358
Th e Athenaeum: humanism in an age of science ...................... 359
Appendix 1: Timeline of professors ................................................. 365
Appendix 2: Geographical origins of students defending
disputations, 1650–1670 ................................................................. 366