Institutional Foundations: The Universities

Abstract

The broad framework and diverse contents of the astrologizing Aristotelian type of natural knowledge reconstructed so far was also studied and taught within the premier educational institution, the universities, and thereby passed down as “normal science” from generation to generation during the entire premodern period from the thirteenth into the seventeenth century and sometimes beyond. Although the evidence is piecemeal, the teaching of astrology seems to have had its institutional foundation in the medieval universities in three distinct scientific disciplines, where it was taught in different respects: [1] Technical features of astrological theory and practice—including how to use tables and astrolabes in constructing horoscopes—were taught in the mathematics course, along with arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy (and sometimes perspectiva). [2] Astrology’s natural philosophical foundations were studied in the natural philosophy course in teaching core Aristotelian texts. [3] After prerequisites in mathematics and natural philosophy, aspects of astrological theory and practice directly related to medicine were taught in the medical course. All three were taught in the combined faculties of arts and medicine found in Italy, most influentially in Bologna and Padua, but also (among many others) at Ferrara, Pavia, and Pisa, and outside Italy at Paris, Cologne, Cracow and elsewhere.