New Worlds, Ancient Texts: The Power of Tradition and the Shock of Discovery: A Response Paper



New Worlds, Ancient Texts: The Power of Tradition and the Shock of Discovery: A Response Paper

Anthony Grafton's book, part of the New York Public Library's commemoration of the Columbus quincentenary makes for interesting reading for me. This study of intellectual change between 1450 and 1700 demonstrates that a new understanding of the world followed European exploration and settlement of the West. The shift to empirical knowledge from scholastic authority based on classical accounts and Christian tradition was a gradual process. As Grafton notes, "A revolution ...