New Publication
Published:
The open-access anthology ‘Natural Resources in Early Modern Economies of Knowledge’, edited by Daniel P. Omodeo (Ca' Foscari University) and Helge Wendt, examines the epistemological dimension and its social contexts in relation to the use of natural resources in the early modern period. It mainly deals with two groups of resources, namely mining and water. The focus is on the cognitive dimensions of codifying and disseminating knowledge about these resources, both in vernacular and scientific contexts.
The individual contributions provide insights into various layers of knowledge that formed both material and immaterial knowledge economies in the early modern period. They range from natural history, protogeology, metallurgy, alchemy, early hydrology, ichthyology and tidal theories to natural philosophy and cosmology. This highlights the richness of knowledge associated with raw materials between the 16th and late 18th centuries. The contributions advocate for a connected view of social organisation, practices (including the use of technology), and theoretical learning. The contributions also highlight environmental issues and the consequences of economic and epistemic activities and a changing conceptual understanding of natural raw materials.
The anthology is the result of research conducted as part of the sub-project ‘Dimensions of Knowledge Economy: Practice and Theory in Pre-modern Cosmology and Mining’ by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Renn and Dr. Helge Wendt in the SFB ‘Episteme in Motion’.
Open-access: https://www.harrassowitz-verlag.de/isbn_9783447123693.ahtmlExternal link
DOI: 10.13173/9783447123693External link