{"id":17507,"date":"2023-01-15T18:03:03","date_gmt":"2023-01-15T18:03:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/?page_id=17507"},"modified":"2023-01-15T18:03:54","modified_gmt":"2023-01-15T18:03:54","slug":"vanderkwaak-2023-congress","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/abstracts\/vanderkwaak-2023-congress\/","title":{"rendered":"Vanderkwaak (2023 Congress)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Matthew Vanderkwaak<\/strong>
\n(University College Dublin<\/em>)<\/h2>\n

“Divine Instruments:
\nThe Role of the Heavens in Albert the Great<\/a>‘s Astrological Cosmos”<\/h2>\n

Abstract of Paper
\npresented at the 58th International Congress on Medieval Studies
\n(Kalamazoo, 2023)<\/h3>\n

Session on “Moving Parts and Pedagogy, Parts I\u2013II”
\n<\/strong>Part II:\u00a0 <\/strong>“Teaching Astrology and other Liberal Arts”<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Organized by David Porreca<\/h4>\n

Co-Sponsored by the RGME and <\/strong>the Societas Magica
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

2023 Congress Program<\/a><\/h4>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n

In his commentary on the Liber de causis<\/a>, the De causis et processu universitatis<\/em>, Albert the Great<\/a> (circa 1200 \u2013 1280) establishes the metaphysical principles of an astrological cosmos. Albert\u2019s interpretation of the Liber de causis<\/em> (a metaphysical handbook from 9th-century Baghdad) works out a hierarchy of primary causes that he compares to the faculties of a cosmic artist: the first cause is like the agent intellect of an artist, separate intelligences like the dimensionless form the artist contemplates, celestial soul like the artist\u2019s spirit mediating immaterial form to the artist\u2019s body, and the heavens like the hand or instrument which the artist uses to shape the material.<\/p>\n

This presentation examines the fourth of these primary causes, the heavens, which Albert calls \u201cnature\u201d. Albert\u2019s interpretation of nature in the Liber de causis<\/em> is one of the most distinctive aspects of his commentary. Most commentaries on the Liber de causis<\/em> only recognize three primary causes \u2014 the first cause, intelligence, and noble soul \u2014 but Albert adds a fourth, nature or the heavens. Albert\u2019s interpretation of nature depends on two 9th-century Arab authors: the Jewish Neoplatonist Isaac Israeli<\/a> the Elder and the astrologer M\u0101 Sh\u0101\u2019 All\u0101h ibn Athari<\/a>. As Albert synthesizes these two thinkers with the systematic theology of the Liber de causis<\/em>, he develops the metaphysical underpinnings of an astrological cosmos in which the heavens are likened to a divine instrument that mediates the creative power of transcendent causes to the world of sensible experience.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Matthew Vanderkwaak (University College Dublin) “Divine Instruments: The Role of the Heavens in Albert the Great‘s Astrological Cosmos” Abstract of Paper presented at the 58th International Congress on Medieval Studies (Kalamazoo, 2023) Session on “Moving Parts and Pedagogy, Parts I\u2013II” Part II:\u00a0 “Teaching Astrology and other Liberal Arts” Organized by David Porreca Co-Sponsored by the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":1023,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17507"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17507"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17507\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17509,"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17507\/revisions\/17509"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}