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Divine Artiface and Robert Boyle's Mechanical and Experimental Natural Philosophy

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Divine Artiface and Robert Boyle's Mechanical and Experimental Natural Philosophy University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies Legacy Theses 1997 The chymist and the craftsman: divine artiface and Robert Boyle's mechanical and experimental natural philosophy Cook, Margaret Grace Cook, M. G. (1997). The chymist and the craftsman: divine artiface and Robert Boyle's mechanical and experimental natural philosophy (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/11201 http://hdl.handle.net/1880/26968 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY The Chymist and the Craftsman: Divine Artifice and Robert Boyle's Mechanical and Experimental Natural Philosophy Margaret Grace Cook A THESIS SLiBMITTED TO THE FACLTLTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTI.4L FLKFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY CALGARY, ALBERTA MAY, 1997 O Margaret Grace Cook 1997 National Library Bibliothèque nationale of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. nie Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Your fi& Votre *le- Our fi& Nom rdfdrenw The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence dowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or seU reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of thrs thesis in microfonn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/6lm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts f?om it Ni la thèse ni des exîraits substantiels may be printed or othenvise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract This thesis explores the interrelationship of Robert Boyle's thedogical assumptions and Aristotelian background with his mechanical and experimental philosophy of nature. Boyle's "meclianical hypothesis" and experimental practice were rooted in his assumption that the \\.orld was the creation of a Divine Artificer. He translated the Peripatetic notion of artifice to the theological realm and dismissed the Aristotelian distinction between natiiral and artificial phenornena. Boyle argued against the inherent agency of .4ristotelian Yornis" and reinterpreted nature as a machine in which al1 change occurred by the rno\.sments of interconnected materia1 parts qualified only by their sizes, shapes and motions. Bo!.le's experimental practice using deliberate. interventionist techniques \vas groiinded on his assumption that natural phenornena could be explained on the mecl~rinicalprinciples of artifice. The legitimation of chernistrq. as a tool for natural philosopliy \iras. in Bo~de'sphilosophy. uItimately rooted in his theological assumptions and in the traditional conception of artifice. *.. III Acknowledgements First and foremost. 1 thank Glen, ingrid and CharIie for their love and support throughout my career as a student. Although it doesn't make up for dl the take-out meds and sock-less drawers. 1 dedicate this thesis to them for their patience and understanding when I abandoned the laundry-room for the Iibrary and the stove for the computer. To rny parents. who both take pnde in their crafts, I offer my respect for the way they live their Iives and my gratitude for whatever part of their exampIe is reflected in the way I approach a task in my home life and my work. The completion of this thesis would not have been possible wlthout the unwavering support and counsel of my supervisor. Margaret J. Osler, whose faith in my ability to bring it to a finished form sustained me through long periods of self-doubt that it would ever reach its present stage. Since Our first acquaintance in her undergraduate lectures, 1 have benefited from her scholarship and frorn the guidance which she fkeely offered to a srudent whose gray hairs were a mark of advancing age not intellectual maturity. From the conception of this thesis to its final birth pangs. she has shared the contents of her librq and her kleenes box with me, offenng generousiy of her time, knowledge and patience. 1 owe her an immense debt of thanks. 1 am indebted. as well. to other scholars who generously took time to listen to the unformed contents of my thesis and shared their knowledge of Robert Boyle's life and works to assist me. Jane Jenkins ofYered not only her knowledge of Boyle's philosophy but encouragement and advice about the process of writing a thesis. My understanding of Robert Boyle's chemistry owes much to Lawrence Principe, who provided an advance draft of his forthcoming book on Boyle's alchemy and devoted severai hours to helping me understand some of the esotenc details of early-modern "chymistry," decipher seventeenth-century manuscnpts, and comprehend their contents. J.J. Macintosh's compilation of Boyle's references to other authors was an invaluable aid in the research for my thesis. He listened gently to my unphilosophical ideas and shared his knowledge of sources and the resources of his copy machine. My owm curious ideas about Boyle's mechanical and esperimental philosophy were first conceived while completing an exercise assigneci in Daiid blarshall's historiograph!. seminar. 1 am grateful to him for providing the challenge of looking at old material in new ways. For fimishing many hours of stimiilatir,g discussion and friendlg fellowship. 1 thank ine other mernbers of our "God and Natiirt-" senlinar: Adrianne. Guido. Jeff. 30) and Lon. They kept me engaged in a wider project than my otn. in the seminar room and the grad lounge as well. Special thanks to Joan Dingle. ~vhoseloving encouragement while 1 was mired in the detail of this thesis \vas in\.aluable in many ivays. 1 an1 grarefi11 for financial assistance during the course of my master's program from scholmliip fiinds made a\.ailable by PanCanadian Petroleum Limited and the Alberta Hsritage Scliolarship Foundation. I am most gratefuI to several professors who lvere generoiis of their tinis and in their assessments of my work to make those scholarships possible. .And last. but not least. I thank OIga Leskiw and the History Depanment office staff for keeping me on track ~viththe papework and understanding if 1 [ost track of'it. Table of Contents Page .- Approi,aIPag~. ....................................................... il .-. Absrracf .....................................-....................... iii ilckitori.ledgeniei~t.s . iv Table of Cont~*nr.v. vi .*. List of lllzi.srra~ior7.v . viii Historiographical Introduction . 1 Chapter One: Nature and the Mechanical Arts in Aristotelianism . 21 .-lri.sforl on ~llc~Dislincfion beht-een :laturc mJ.-lrrifice . ,,37 .4rr and .\;II irr-e irl .\/~.clic~mIro Earl+v-:bfo&-n.-lristo~elianism . 25 .\ktlrr~ cm/117~ .-lrr ~f'.-llcherq... 32 .4rr nnd .\;I/~/IY il7 I~CSeventeenth Ccnrw?. 35 Chapter Two: The Young Christian Virtuoso and Divine Artifice . 37 Chapter Three: The Mechanical Philosopher and the Craftsman's Universe . , 60 The ~\./c.r~ningof .\ /cchanical in Boyle 's Philusophy . 67 The T.'i~/,gclr-.\Nrinn cf A'critwes: Inrernal .-igencj*and -4ctive Subsrances . 76 BojVe S Philosopl~~:Exrernal Agency and .2fechanisms in Motion. 83 The Bqvlccrri li~i\w-seas a Renaissance ClocX-wol-k . 92 Cosmiccrl .Ci~.s~?i~ionsand Historiographiccrl Soliir ions. 97 Tltc ",\f~.cltc~rticalPI-odtrcrion " of Qualiries . 103 The RC~,~~CJ~/II-LJICII~OI~of.!'ntzrre as .4rliJic~ . 107 Table of Contents (conrinrted) Page Chapter Four: The 'Sceptical Chymist' and bis Experimental Philosophy .... 114 Ekperi~mrîtcr!Plrilnsophj .: Purting Nature Our ofirs Course ............. 116 The I1t~porrt1i7c.c@-":Vorcs iipon an Essay from ~Vjrre".................... 122 Thc .C c~pmwfimCIM/ Redinregration of .Fc'irr c. ........................... 126 Tiîc E.vpcr.inww/cr/Procfucrion of Forms anci Quuliries ..................... 135 Rohm BI!I./C?'.Y Il ig . Nî rhe Scientijic Rerolr~riorî ........................ 142 Conclusion: Sature as Artifice .Continuity in Change .................... 147 Appendis 1. Boylc's Sources for "of the Study of the Booke of Nature" ........ 169 Appendix II. Transcription of Boyle's "of the Study of the Booke of Nature" ....177 vii List of Illustrations Page Figure 1. .A Table Clock with Automata ( Augsburg. 1600). 93 Figurc 2. Rooster Automaton from the Strasbourg dock (1354) . 95 30th tigiires are reproduced from Otto Mayr. Authoritv. Libertv and Automatic Machinen. in Earlv Modern Euro~e(Baltimore and London: Johns Hopkins Univsrsit!. Press. 1986). pp. 7 and 1 1. Historiographicai Introduction To historians of science Robert BoyIe (1627-1 691) is no longer the "Father of Modem Chemistq" and discoverer of Boyle's Iaw. but a seventeenth-century natural philosopher who esperimented with "air pumps" and wrote prolix treatises Iike Sce~tical~hvrnistl and The Onsine of Formes and ~ualities.' Boyle occupies a prominent place
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