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Galenism in Early Modern Philosophy and Medicine

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Encyclopedia of Early Modern Philosophy and the Sciences

Introduction

The humanistic rediscovery of Galen’s works, which culminated in the 1525 Aldine edition, brought about a sudden revival of Galenism followed by a protracted decline (see Nutton 2008). However, even after dismissing Galenism as a comprehensive medical and philosophical system, early modern scientists and philosophers continued to draw inspiration from the Galenic tradition (see Donato 2019). Thus, the early modern history of Galenism is largely the history of its complex interaction with old and new rivals.

Tradition, Erudition, and Experience

Among the extra-theoretical factors that influenced the various early modern attitudes toward Galenic medicine, the different medical contexts played a prominent role. Institutional contexts generally provided a safer environment for Galenism; in particular, educational institutions proved more conservative than professional or research-oriented organizations. Several universities like the University of Paris and important colleges...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy

    Matteo Favaretti Camposampiero

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  1. Matteo Favaretti Camposampiero
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Correspondence to Matteo Favaretti Camposampiero .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

    Dana Jalobeanu

  2. Dept. of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, Ghent University Dept. Philosophy & Moral Sci, Ghent, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium

    Charles T. Wolfe

Section Editor information

  1. Early Modern Studies, Claremont Graduate University, Pasadena, CA, USA

    Gideon Manning

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Favaretti Camposampiero, M. (2020). Galenism in Early Modern Philosophy and Medicine. In: Jalobeanu, D., Wolfe, C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Early Modern Philosophy and the Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20791-9_286-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20791-9_286-1

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