Gassendi's Concept of Seeds between Matter Theories and Life Sciences in the 17th Century.
Authors
Hiro Hirai
"Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine",University College London,Uk
Keywords:
Semina Rerum , Atomism , Matter Theories , Life Sciences
Abstract
Gassendi's theory of molecules as seeds is not a simple adaptation of the Lucretian idea of semina rerum.It is also strongly influenced by the Renaissance concept of seeds,stemming from Marsilio Ficino's Neoplatonic metaphysical cosmology and developed in Paracelsian natural philosophy.Examining its historical context and its chemical and biological dimensions,the present study reveals the very source of his idea.
