Athanasius Kircher

Athanasius Kircher (sometimes spelt Kirchner) (May 2 1601?–27 November 1680) was a 17th century German Jesuit scholar who published around 40 works, most notably in the fields of oriental studies, geology and medicine. He made an early study of Egyptian hieroglyphs. He was ahead of his time in proposing that the plague was caused by an infectious microorganism and in suggesting effective measures to prevent the spread of the disease. A scientific star in his day, towards the end of his life he was eclipsed by the rationalism of René Descartes and others. In the late 20th century, however, the aesthetic qualities of his work have again begun to be appreciated. One scholar, Edward Schmidt, has called him "the last Renaissance man".

Influence

For most of his professional life, Kircher was one of the scientific stars of the world: according to historian Paula Findlen, he was "the first scholar with a global reputation". His importance was twofold: to the results of his own experiments and research he added information gleaned from his correspondence with over 760 scientists, physicians and above all his fellow Jesuits in all parts of the globe. The Encyclopædia Britannica calls him a "one-man intellectual clearing house". His works, illustrated to his orders, were extremely popular, and he was the first scientist to be able to support himself through the sale of his books.

Related Topics:
Experiment - Encyclopædia Britannica

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Towards the end of his life his stock fell, as the rationalist Cartesian approach began to dominate (Descartes himself described Kircher as "more quacksalver than savant").

Related Topics:
Rationalist - Cartesian

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Thereafter, Kircher was largely neglected until the late 20th century.

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One writer attributes his rediscovery to the similarities between his eclectic approach and postmodernism: "at the start of the 21st century Kircher's taste for trivia, deception and wonder is back?; "Kircher's postmodern qualities include his subversiveness, his celebrity, his technomania and his bizarre eclecticism" http://www.safran-arts.com/42day/history/h4may/02kirxer.html. Because Kircher's science is now out of date, and as few of his works have been translated, the recent emphasis has been on their aesthetic qualities rather than their actual content, and a succession of exhibitions have highlighted the beauty of their illustrations. Historian Anthony Grafton has said that "the staggeringly strange dark continent of Kircher's work the setting for a Borges story that was never written", while Umberto Eco has written about Kircher in his novel The Island of the Day Before, as well as in his non-fiction works The Search for the Perfect Language and Serendipities. One 2002 article called him "dude of wonders" and "just about the coolest guy ever" http://chronicle.com/free/2002/05/2002052804n.htm.

Related Topics:
Postmodernism - 21st century - Trivia - Celebrity - Technomania - Eclecticism - Aesthetic - Borges - Umberto Eco - The Island of the Day Before - 2002

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