Koen Vermeir | Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique / French National Centre for Scientific Research (original) (raw)
Articles by Koen Vermeir
in Y. Haskell (ed.) Diseases of the Imagination and Imaginary Disease in the Early Modern Period. Turnhout: Brepols Publishers. 341-373. , 2012
The British Journal for the History of Science, Jan 1, 2005
Studies In History and Philosophy of Science Part A, Jan 1, 2007
forthcoming in Historia Mathematica 2014, 2014
Akin to the mathematical recreations, John Wilkins' Mathematicall Magick (1648) elaborates the pl... more Akin to the mathematical recreations, John Wilkins' Mathematicall Magick (1648) elaborates the pleasant, useful and wondrous part of practical mathematics, dealing in particular with its material culture of machines and instruments. We contextualize the Mathematicall Magick by studying its institutional setting and its place within changing conceptions of art, nature, religion and mathematics. We devote special attention to the way Wilkins inscribes mechanical innovations within a discourse of wonder. Instead of treating ‘wonder’ as a monolithic category, we present a typology, showing that wonders were not only recreative, but were meant to inspire Wilkins' readers to new mathematical inventions.
The British Journal for the History of Science / Volume45 / Special Issue02 / June 2012, pp 153-164, Mar 1, 2012
This introductory article provides an overview of the historiography of scientific secrecy from J... more This introductory article provides an overview of the historiography of scientific secrecy from J.D. Bernal and Robert Merton to this day. It reviews how historians and sociologists of science have explored the role of secrets in commercial and government sponsored scientific research through the ages. Whether focusing on the medieval, early modern or modern periods, much of this historiography has conceptualized scientific secrets as valuable intellectual property that helps entrepreneurs and autocratic governments gain economic or military advantage over competitors. Following Georg Simmel and Max Weber, this article offers an alternative interpretation of secrecy as a tool to organize and to hierarchically order society. In this view, the knowledge content of secrecy is less important than its social psychological effects. The authors argue that, in many instances, entrepreneurial researchers and governments use scientific secrets as an effective tool to manipulate the beliefs of their
competitors and the larger public, and not necessarily to protect the knowledge that they hold.
in The British Journal for the History of Science / Volume45 / Special Issue02 / June 2012, pp 165-188, Mar 2012
"Traditional historiography of science has constructed secrecy in opposition to openness. In the ... more "Traditional historiography of science has constructed secrecy in opposition to openness. In the first part of the paper, I will challenge this opposition. Openness and secrecy are often interlocked, impossible to take apart, and they might even reinforce each other. They should be understood as positive (instead of privative) categories that do not necessarily stand
in opposition to each other. In the second part of this paper, I call for a historicization of the concepts of ‘openness’ and ‘secrecy’. Focusing on the early modern period, I briefly introduce three kinds of secrecy that are difficult to analyse with a simple oppositional understanding of openness and secrecy. In particular, I focus on secrecy in relation to esoteric traditions, theatricality and allegory."
in: Perspectives on Science, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 183-206, 2012
We propose to read Francis Bacon's doctrine of the idols of the mind as an investigation firmly e... more We propose to read Francis Bacon's doctrine of the idols of the mind as an investigation firmly entrenched in his mental-medicinal concerns and we argue that an important role therein is played by the imagination. Looking at the ways in which the imagination serves to pinpoint several crucial aspects of the idolic mind permits us to signal the explicit or implicit cross-references between what in Bacon's tree of knowledge appear as distinct branches: the various faculties and their arts; the mind, the body, and their league; natural philosophy, moral philosophy, and the philosophy of man. The consequence of this rich picture of the diagnosis of the mind is an equally rich conception of the cure, which comprises both epistemic and physiological aspects. We extract the features of this integrated view out of Bacon's epistemological and medical natural historical writings, which we propose to read in tandem. We also propose a number of sources for Bacon's views on the imagination, whose variety accounts for the multivalent, sometimes elusive, but surely pervasive role of the imagination in the Baconian diagnosis and cure of the mind.
Kritische Berichte: Zeitschrift für Kunst-und …, Jan 1, 2004
Associatie KULeuven. ...
in: Humboldt’s Model. The Future of Universities in the World of Research. Berlin: Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag., 2013
I argue that the ideal of free research versus the managerial model is a false distinction. The r... more I argue that the ideal of free research versus the managerial model is a false distinction. The real question is which kind of management should be applied at the university. I show that the origin of the current malaise is in the imposition of the wrong management model on the university. There exist alternative models, however. In this paper, I show that seeing the university as part of a gift economy could be at the basis of new guidelines for management reform in the organization of higher education and scientific research.
Science & Education , Aug 2012
Truth is for sale today, some critics claim. The increased commodification of science corrupts it... more Truth is for sale today, some critics claim. The increased commodification of science corrupts it, scientific fraud is rampant and the age-old trust in science is shattered. This cynical view, although gaining in prominence, does not explain very well the surprising motivation and integrity that is still central to the scientific life. Although scientific knowledge becomes more and more treated as a commodity or as a product that is for sale, a central part of academic scientific practice is still organized according to different principles. In this paper, I critically analyze alternative models for understanding the organization of knowledge, such as the idea of the scientific commons and the gift economy of science. After weighing the diverse positive and negative aspects of free market economies of science and gift economies of science, a commons structured as a gift economy seems best suited to preserve and take advantage of the specific character of scientific knowledge. Furthermore, commons and gift economies promote the rich social texture that is important for supporting central norms of science. Some of these basic norms might break down if the gift character of science is lost. To conclude, I consider the possibility and desirability of hybrid economies of academic science, which combine aspects of gift economies and free market economies. The aim of this paper is to gain a better understanding of these deeper structural challenges faced by science policy. Such theoretical reflections should eventually assist us in formulating new policy guidelines.
Studies in history and philosophy of science Part C: …, Jan 1, 2004
in Science in the Age of Baroque (ed. Ofer Gal and Raz Chen-Morris), Springer 2013 , 2013
In this article, I explore the potential of style concepts, and especially the concept of the bar... more In this article, I explore the potential of style concepts, and especially the concept of the baroque, for the history of science. I argue for a pragmatic theory of style that avoids the traditional problems of essentialist or idealist style concepts. A pragmatic style concept is very useful for describing larger cultural structures, based on resemblances between different practices, especially if evidence of concrete circulations of knowledge is lacking. Style concepts such as the ‘baroque’ are not only relevant for discerning large scale structures, but they can also be an indispensable tool for historians of science to make sense of particular practices or objects. I illustrate this by analysing one of the most striking marvels of the baroque: a clock made from a sunflower plant. The historiography has analysed this object as part of the controversy around copernicanism. In order to come to grips with this object, however, it is important to embed it in its baroque context. From studying the meanings of clocks, magnetism and sunflowers in different practices, certain resemblances come to the fore. These resemblances point at a broader ‘baroque culture’, which in its turn helps us to better contextualise and understand the sunflower clock
Intellectual History Review, Jan 1, 2008
Silent Messengers: The Circulation of Material …, Jan 1, 2011
The Journal of Early Modern Studies, 2012
Pierre Bayle's Dictionnaire Historique et Critique, a landmark in intellectual history, is a curi... more Pierre Bayle's Dictionnaire Historique et Critique, a landmark in intellectual history, is a curious text. Originally intended as a collection of all errors, it became an encyclopedia of everything, enfolding rampantly growing footnotes that commented on every imaginable topic. Instead of looking at Bayle's theoretical statements in the Dictionnaire, I explore Bayle's writing practice, his critical method and his practice of forming judgments. A close study of the textual, paratextual and contextual characteristics of the first entry of the Dictionnaire (the entry "Abaris") allows me to find out how Bayle made up his mind at every stage during a contemporaneous controversy on divination. In this way, we are able to see Bayle's mind in action while he is judging the contradictory information he receives and the to-and-fro movement of changing opinions he is confronted with. Th is examination yields new insights to Bayle's practical attitudes towards key issues in his oeuvre, including scepticism, rationalism, superstition and tolerance. At the same time, the article clarifies how Bayle was involved in the Republic of Letters and how he related to his local context in Rotterdam.
Degrés. Revue de synthèse à orientation sémiologique, pp. c1-c14, 2013
Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: …, Jan 1, 2005
in Y. Haskell (ed.) Diseases of the Imagination and Imaginary Disease in the Early Modern Period. Turnhout: Brepols Publishers. 341-373. , 2012
The British Journal for the History of Science, Jan 1, 2005
Studies In History and Philosophy of Science Part A, Jan 1, 2007
forthcoming in Historia Mathematica 2014, 2014
Akin to the mathematical recreations, John Wilkins' Mathematicall Magick (1648) elaborates the pl... more Akin to the mathematical recreations, John Wilkins' Mathematicall Magick (1648) elaborates the pleasant, useful and wondrous part of practical mathematics, dealing in particular with its material culture of machines and instruments. We contextualize the Mathematicall Magick by studying its institutional setting and its place within changing conceptions of art, nature, religion and mathematics. We devote special attention to the way Wilkins inscribes mechanical innovations within a discourse of wonder. Instead of treating ‘wonder’ as a monolithic category, we present a typology, showing that wonders were not only recreative, but were meant to inspire Wilkins' readers to new mathematical inventions.
The British Journal for the History of Science / Volume45 / Special Issue02 / June 2012, pp 153-164, Mar 1, 2012
This introductory article provides an overview of the historiography of scientific secrecy from J... more This introductory article provides an overview of the historiography of scientific secrecy from J.D. Bernal and Robert Merton to this day. It reviews how historians and sociologists of science have explored the role of secrets in commercial and government sponsored scientific research through the ages. Whether focusing on the medieval, early modern or modern periods, much of this historiography has conceptualized scientific secrets as valuable intellectual property that helps entrepreneurs and autocratic governments gain economic or military advantage over competitors. Following Georg Simmel and Max Weber, this article offers an alternative interpretation of secrecy as a tool to organize and to hierarchically order society. In this view, the knowledge content of secrecy is less important than its social psychological effects. The authors argue that, in many instances, entrepreneurial researchers and governments use scientific secrets as an effective tool to manipulate the beliefs of their
competitors and the larger public, and not necessarily to protect the knowledge that they hold.
in The British Journal for the History of Science / Volume45 / Special Issue02 / June 2012, pp 165-188, Mar 2012
"Traditional historiography of science has constructed secrecy in opposition to openness. In the ... more "Traditional historiography of science has constructed secrecy in opposition to openness. In the first part of the paper, I will challenge this opposition. Openness and secrecy are often interlocked, impossible to take apart, and they might even reinforce each other. They should be understood as positive (instead of privative) categories that do not necessarily stand
in opposition to each other. In the second part of this paper, I call for a historicization of the concepts of ‘openness’ and ‘secrecy’. Focusing on the early modern period, I briefly introduce three kinds of secrecy that are difficult to analyse with a simple oppositional understanding of openness and secrecy. In particular, I focus on secrecy in relation to esoteric traditions, theatricality and allegory."
in: Perspectives on Science, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 183-206, 2012
We propose to read Francis Bacon's doctrine of the idols of the mind as an investigation firmly e... more We propose to read Francis Bacon's doctrine of the idols of the mind as an investigation firmly entrenched in his mental-medicinal concerns and we argue that an important role therein is played by the imagination. Looking at the ways in which the imagination serves to pinpoint several crucial aspects of the idolic mind permits us to signal the explicit or implicit cross-references between what in Bacon's tree of knowledge appear as distinct branches: the various faculties and their arts; the mind, the body, and their league; natural philosophy, moral philosophy, and the philosophy of man. The consequence of this rich picture of the diagnosis of the mind is an equally rich conception of the cure, which comprises both epistemic and physiological aspects. We extract the features of this integrated view out of Bacon's epistemological and medical natural historical writings, which we propose to read in tandem. We also propose a number of sources for Bacon's views on the imagination, whose variety accounts for the multivalent, sometimes elusive, but surely pervasive role of the imagination in the Baconian diagnosis and cure of the mind.
Kritische Berichte: Zeitschrift für Kunst-und …, Jan 1, 2004
Associatie KULeuven. ...
in: Humboldt’s Model. The Future of Universities in the World of Research. Berlin: Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag., 2013
I argue that the ideal of free research versus the managerial model is a false distinction. The r... more I argue that the ideal of free research versus the managerial model is a false distinction. The real question is which kind of management should be applied at the university. I show that the origin of the current malaise is in the imposition of the wrong management model on the university. There exist alternative models, however. In this paper, I show that seeing the university as part of a gift economy could be at the basis of new guidelines for management reform in the organization of higher education and scientific research.
Science & Education , Aug 2012
Truth is for sale today, some critics claim. The increased commodification of science corrupts it... more Truth is for sale today, some critics claim. The increased commodification of science corrupts it, scientific fraud is rampant and the age-old trust in science is shattered. This cynical view, although gaining in prominence, does not explain very well the surprising motivation and integrity that is still central to the scientific life. Although scientific knowledge becomes more and more treated as a commodity or as a product that is for sale, a central part of academic scientific practice is still organized according to different principles. In this paper, I critically analyze alternative models for understanding the organization of knowledge, such as the idea of the scientific commons and the gift economy of science. After weighing the diverse positive and negative aspects of free market economies of science and gift economies of science, a commons structured as a gift economy seems best suited to preserve and take advantage of the specific character of scientific knowledge. Furthermore, commons and gift economies promote the rich social texture that is important for supporting central norms of science. Some of these basic norms might break down if the gift character of science is lost. To conclude, I consider the possibility and desirability of hybrid economies of academic science, which combine aspects of gift economies and free market economies. The aim of this paper is to gain a better understanding of these deeper structural challenges faced by science policy. Such theoretical reflections should eventually assist us in formulating new policy guidelines.
Studies in history and philosophy of science Part C: …, Jan 1, 2004
in Science in the Age of Baroque (ed. Ofer Gal and Raz Chen-Morris), Springer 2013 , 2013
In this article, I explore the potential of style concepts, and especially the concept of the bar... more In this article, I explore the potential of style concepts, and especially the concept of the baroque, for the history of science. I argue for a pragmatic theory of style that avoids the traditional problems of essentialist or idealist style concepts. A pragmatic style concept is very useful for describing larger cultural structures, based on resemblances between different practices, especially if evidence of concrete circulations of knowledge is lacking. Style concepts such as the ‘baroque’ are not only relevant for discerning large scale structures, but they can also be an indispensable tool for historians of science to make sense of particular practices or objects. I illustrate this by analysing one of the most striking marvels of the baroque: a clock made from a sunflower plant. The historiography has analysed this object as part of the controversy around copernicanism. In order to come to grips with this object, however, it is important to embed it in its baroque context. From studying the meanings of clocks, magnetism and sunflowers in different practices, certain resemblances come to the fore. These resemblances point at a broader ‘baroque culture’, which in its turn helps us to better contextualise and understand the sunflower clock
Intellectual History Review, Jan 1, 2008
Silent Messengers: The Circulation of Material …, Jan 1, 2011
The Journal of Early Modern Studies, 2012
Pierre Bayle's Dictionnaire Historique et Critique, a landmark in intellectual history, is a curi... more Pierre Bayle's Dictionnaire Historique et Critique, a landmark in intellectual history, is a curious text. Originally intended as a collection of all errors, it became an encyclopedia of everything, enfolding rampantly growing footnotes that commented on every imaginable topic. Instead of looking at Bayle's theoretical statements in the Dictionnaire, I explore Bayle's writing practice, his critical method and his practice of forming judgments. A close study of the textual, paratextual and contextual characteristics of the first entry of the Dictionnaire (the entry "Abaris") allows me to find out how Bayle made up his mind at every stage during a contemporaneous controversy on divination. In this way, we are able to see Bayle's mind in action while he is judging the contradictory information he receives and the to-and-fro movement of changing opinions he is confronted with. Th is examination yields new insights to Bayle's practical attitudes towards key issues in his oeuvre, including scepticism, rationalism, superstition and tolerance. At the same time, the article clarifies how Bayle was involved in the Republic of Letters and how he related to his local context in Rotterdam.
Degrés. Revue de synthèse à orientation sémiologique, pp. c1-c14, 2013
Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: …, Jan 1, 2005
CNRS Editions, coll. Alpha, Paris, 2017
Analogy and Technique How did Leonardo invent his flying machines? How have techniques of weav... more Analogy and Technique
How did Leonardo invent his flying machines? How have techniques of weaving been transposed into the art of war, or milling instruments into the fabrication of cosmetics? How should we understand the relation between prehistorical artefacts if we do not have textual sources? How has ingenuity been mechanized by means of reductions into art or the TRIZ methodology?
This book argues that analogy plays a crucial role in the invention, circulation and appropriation of techniques and technologies. Apart from genetic, structural and functional analogies, we discuss operational analogies, which are especially important for understanding and rationalizing techniques.
The multiple intersections between analogy and technique justify this pluridisciplinary book, bringing together contributions by historians of technology, archeologists, psychologists, art historians, museologists, philosophers of technology, information scientists and theorists of analogy.
As such, this dialogue between cognitive and historical approaches opens up new perspectives for the analysis of techniques in the humanities and social sciences.
Comment Léonard a-t-il inventé ses machines de vol ? Comment des méthodes de tissage ont-elles été transposées dans des techniques de guerre, des instruments de meunerie ou dans la fabrication de cosmétiques ? Comment comprendre les rapports entre des artefacts préhistoriques sans source textuelle ? Comment a-t-on pu mécaniser le génie, des réductions en art au « raisonnement par cas » ? Le point du départ de ce livre est que l’analogie joue un rôle crucial dans l’invention, la circulation et l’appropriation des techniques. C’est aussi un puissant motif de rationalisation et compréhension des techniques selon des logiques opératoires, aux côtés de l’analogie génétique, ou structurelle, ou encore fonctionnelle. Ces résonances justifient cet ouvrage pluridisciplinaire réunissant historiens des techniques, archéologues, psychologues cognitivistes, historiens de l’art, muséographes, philosophes des techniques, informaticiens et théoriciens de l’analogie.
Isis, 2005
Page 1. MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN SCIENCE The Limits of Influence 3141'dl nsi f ... more Page 1. MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN SCIENCE The Limits of Influence 3141'dl nsi f 9-' «h.-* * STEVEN VANDEN BROECKE BRILL Page 2. < Page 3. Page 4. Page 5. THE LIMITS OF INFLUENCE This One DTWR-Y83-EK23 Page 6. ...
Isis, 2008
... months after Galileo's sentence of life imprisonment had been commuted to house arrest, ... more ... months after Galileo's sentence of life imprisonment had been commuted to house arrest, a German Jesuit, Athanasius Kircher, arrived to ... Furthermore, the conversation in Kircher's Itinerarium took place between a Jesuit father, Theodidactus, and an angel, Cosmiel, who guided ...
British Journal for The History of Science, 2004
Sharon Macdonald, Behind the Scenes at the Science Museum. By Jim Bennett 99 Charles Mollan, Will... more Sharon Macdonald, Behind the Scenes at the Science Museum. By Jim Bennett 99 Charles Mollan, William Davis and Brendan Finucane (eds.), Irish Inno-vators in Science and Technology. By Enda Leaney 100 Pamela O. Long, Openness, Secrecy, Authorship: ...
In Sophie A. de Beaune, Liliane Hilaire-Pérez & Koen Vermeir, L'Analogie dans les techniques, 2017
Analogies determine our ways of thinking and doing. In order to understand this, as well as the w... more Analogies determine our ways of thinking and doing. In order to understand this, as well as the way this defines us as human beings (particularly as Homo faber), a historical and cognitive inquiry is necessary. This book studies the concept of analogy and its history in relation with other key concepts, such as imitation, induction, abstraction, and their roles in different domains. We also examine the usage of analogies and their functions in technical reasoning, modes of classification, representations and especially in invention. We maintain that analogies are crucial for thinking with and handling objects. Understanding analogy, therefore, is fundamental for the history of technical knowledge and operative practices.
As such, this dialogue between cognitive and historical approaches opens up new perspectives for the analysis of techniques in the humanities and social sciences.
Les analogies déterminent notre manière de penser et d’agir. Pour comprendre ce qu’elles sont et comment elles nous définissent en tant qu’être humain, notamment comme Homo faber, une enquête historique et cognitiviste était nécessaire. Cet ouvrage étudie le concept d’analogie et son histoire en relation avec d’autres concepts clefs, comme l’imitation, l’induction et l’abstraction, et son rôle dans différents domaines. Nous examinons aussi l’usage de l’analogie et sa fonction dans le raisonnement technique, les modes de classification, la représentation et surtout dans l’invention. Nous soutenons que l’analogie est déterminante pour penser et agir avec les objets. Comprendre l’analogie s’avère alors fondamental pour l’histoire des savoirs techniques et des pratiques opératoires. Ainsi, ce dialogue entre approches cognitivistes et historiques ouvre de nouvelles perspectives pour l’analyse des techniques en sciences humaines et sociales.
This introductory chapter spells out our vision of a more inclusive history of space. We start wi... more This introductory chapter spells out our vision of a more inclusive history of space. We start with a close look at the meaning of the concept of space and its cognates, noting their practical as well as theoretical implications. In exploring earthly, imaginary and (un)godly places and spaces, we remain in continuous interaction with the classical historiography of space but also add unexpected perspectives. Suspicious of linear or teleological accounts, we stress the flourishing and mixing of many different ideas about space. This chapter is simultaneously a stand-alone introduction to the history of early modern space and an introduction to the contributions that follow, which we locate in a thematic network.
Ce séminaire se propose de réfléchir à la manière dont ont été ou sont aujourd’hui « pensées » le... more Ce séminaire se propose de réfléchir à la manière dont ont été ou sont aujourd’hui « pensées » les collections techniques – objets, vestiges archéologiques, textes, ouvrages, etc. L’administration de ces collections met en jeu de nombreux acteurs – collecteurs, conservateurs, chercheurs, médiateurs vers le grand public, etc. – dont les réflexions et les actions interagissent. Une collection est en effet tributaire des conditions matérielles et intellectuelles dans lesquelles s’est faite sa réunion, des procédures d’inventaire et de catalogage qui lui sont appliquées, des modes d’identification et de désignation des articles. Par ailleurs, les chercheurs étudiant des collections techniques sont souvent amenés à (re)mettre en question les critères de classement qui avaient guidé leur constitution, et à les réinterpréter en fonction de nouveaux paradigmes. Nous ferons le point sur les modes de constitution des collections, les traitements intellectuels et techniques qui leur sont appliqués et les méthodes que la recherche développe dans le cadre de leur étude. Entre autres aspects, nous nous intéresserons à l’intégration des artefacts « techniques » dans la culture matérielle plus large et à la dimension « sensible » de certains. Nous engagerons également un chantier d’étude sur les « reconstitutions », de plus en plus développées comme processus de compréhension technique et de médiation muséographique.