Thinking Through Things

Abstract

'Materials and expertise in early modern Europe: Between market and laboratory' edited by Ursula Klein and E. C. Spary; Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 2010; explores the relationship between practical and theory-based knowledge in early modern science and technology. Rather than reinforcing the traditional distinction between ‘hand’ and ‘mind’, the contributors to this edited volume examine the ways in which these two forms of knowledge were connected in the early modern period. By focusing on humans’ interactions with specific materials, they show that in many cases the production and manipulation of objects had a fundamental impact on the development of theoretical knowledge about the natural world. The authors collectively uncover a host of ‘hybrid experts’ who combined intellectual expertise with physical skill, and who expanded the boundaries of what was known about the natural world.