The 'Arabick' interest of the natural philosophers in seventeenth-century England
By: edited by G.A. Russell.
Contributors: Russell, G. A., Ph.D.
Series: Brill's studies in intellectual history,; v. 47
Publisher: E.J. Brill
Published: 1994
Place of publication: Leiden; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 320
Subjects: Civilization, Arab -- Study and teaching -- Great Britain -- History; Arabic philology -- Study and teaching -- Great Britain -- History; Arabists -- Great Britain -- History -- 17th century -- History; Great Britain -- Intellectual life -- 17th century; Great Britain -- Civilization -- Arab influences
Description: This volume deals with the remarkably widespread interest in Arabic in seventeenth-century England among Biblical scholars and theologians, natural philosophers and Fellows of the Royal Society, and others. It led to the institutionalisation of Arabic studies at Oxford and Cambridge Universities where Arabic chairs were set up, and immense manuscript collections were established and utilised.

Fourteen historians examine the extent and sources of this Arabic interest in areas ranging from religion, astronomy, mathematics, medicine, philosophy, and alchemy to botany. Arabic is shown to have been a significant component of the rise of Protestant intellectual tradition and the evolution of secular scholarship at universities.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Consists of essays by the participants of a 1986 symposium held at the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, London.