Artisan/Practitioners and the Rise of the New Sciences, 1400-1600

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Focusing on the pivotal role of artisans and craftsmen, the book explores their influence on the empirical methodologies that emerged during the Scientific Revolution of the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It critically revises the "Zilsel thesis," arguing for the importance of artisanal contributions through three perspectives: the interplay of art and nature, the Vitruvian architectural tradition, and the concept of "trading zones" for communication between artisans and scholars. This comprehensive analysis enhances understanding of the historical context of the development of the empirical sciences.