The astronomer and the witch : Johannes Kepler’s fight for his mother PDF
Preview The astronomer and the witch : Johannes Kepler’s fight for his mother
TheAstronomerandtheWitch Praise for The Astronomer and the Witch R ‘UlinkaRublackhaswrittenanenthralling,many-sidedbook.Itisatonceavivid introductiontoafascinatingsocialandculturalworld;aprofoundanalysisofawitch trialthat shows us, invividdetail,whatthe accused person's family wentthrough and how such trials transformed family dynamics;and a deep study of one of the greatestscientistswhoeverlived,JohannesKepler,whichputshiminanunfamiliar settingandhelpsusunderstandhisextraordinary,independentmind.’ ProfessorAnthonyGrafton,PrincetonUniversity ‘Grippingandinspiring,thistaleofthesix-yearbattletoclearKatharinaKeplerof the charge of witchcraft yields striking new insights into the personalities and familiesinvolved,theircommunitiesandtheirculture.Katharina,presentedeven inrecentaccountsaswitch-like,emergesasaresilientandresourcefulsurvivorof harsh circumstances. In turn, her son and tireless defender, the astronomer JohannesKepler,oftenseenasanisolatedandtormentedsoul,figuresasfamilial and sociable, an optimistic and determined seeker after universal harmony and justice. The harrowing tale of accusations, threats and imprisonment is used to build up a rich and detailed picture of everyday life, commercial activities, legal proceduresandpoliticalcontrolinKatharina’sLutherancommunityintheDuchy ofWürttemberg.Thepast,withitshopesandfears,comeswonderfullytolifein thisscholarlymasterwork.’ ProfessorNicholasJardine,UniversityofCambridge ‘Thisbooktakesyourighttotheheartoflifeintheseventeenthcentury,withallits sense of intellectual possibility, its dreams and its fears. Rublack tells a shocking story. How was it possible for the mother of the famous scientist Kepler to be accusedofwitchcraft,andwhydidshecometotrial?Ingrippingprose,Rublack showshowthecasedestroyedthoseinvolvedinit.Shemakesusunderstandhow witchcraft could be credible and why people feared it so much. She makes us understand the psychological wellsprings of Kepler’s work. And she presents a wholenewaccountofscientificthinkinganditsrelationshiptonaturalknowledge atthedawnofanewera.ThemostcompellingbookIhavereadforalongtime.’ ProfessorLyndalRoper,UniversityofOxford the A stronomer WITCH & the U L I N K A R U B LL AA C K 1 3 GreatClarendonStreet,Oxford,OXDP UnitedKingdom OxfordUniversityPressisadepartmentoftheUniversityofOxford. ItfurtherstheUniversity’sobjectiveofexcellenceinresearch,scholarship, andeducationbypublishingworldwide.Oxfordisaregisteredtrademarkof OxfordUniversityPressintheUKandincertainothercountries #UlinkaRublack Themoralrightsoftheauthorhavebeenasserted FirstEditionpublishedin Impression: Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedin aretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,withoutthe priorpermissioninwritingofOxfordUniversityPress,orasexpresslypermitted bylaw,bylicenceorundertermsagreedwiththeappropriatereprographics rightsorganization.Enquiriesconcerningreproductionoutsidethescopeofthe aboveshouldbesenttotheRightsDepartment,OxfordUniversityPress,atthe addressabove Youmustnotcirculatethisworkinanyotherform andyoumustimposethissameconditiononanyacquirer PublishedintheUnitedStatesofAmericabyOxfordUniversityPress MadisonAvenue,NewYork,NY,UnitedStatesofAmerica BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData Dataavailable LibraryofCongressControlNumber: ISBN –––– PrintedinItalyby L.E.G.O.S.p.A. LinkstothirdpartywebsitesareprovidedbyOxfordingoodfaithand forinformationonly.Oxforddisclaimsanyresponsibilityforthematerials containedinanythirdpartywebsitereferencedinthiswork. ForFrancisco Table of Contents R TimelineofJohannesKepler’sLife,– ix NoteonDates xiii ListofIllustrations xv ListofAbbreviations xix Maps xxi Prologue xxvii Introduction Katharina’s Life A Lutheran Court The Year of the Witches Kepler’s Strategies A Family Responds Movements of the Soul The Trial Continues Other Witches Katharina’s Imprisonment Kepler’s Return The Defence The Trial Ends Kepler’s Dream Epilogue viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Notes FurtherReadingandViewing Acknowledgements Index ’ Timeline of Key Dates in Johannes Kepler s – Life and Major Publications, R Johannes Kepler born on December in Weil der Stadt;hisparentsareHeinrich Kepler and Katharina Kepler, née Guldenmund The Kepler family moves to nearby Leonberg, in the Lutheran territory of Württemberg Johannes Kepler enters the local Latin school The family moves to Ellmendingen in Baden Johannes Kepler returns to Leonberg and passes a scholarship exam in Stuttgart
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