著者

山田 俊弘

出版者

日本科学史学会

雑誌

科学史研究 (ISSN:21887535)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.43, no.229, pp.1-12, 2004 (Released:2021-08-12)

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This paper, in the first place, aims to make reappraisal to Bernhard Varen's General Geography(1650) from the viewpoint of the interaction of geography with the new science. I especially investigated the role of Descartes' theory and Varen's influence upon Steno. It is certain that Varen was familiar with the texts of Descartes such as Meteorology(1637) and Principles of Philosophy(1644). At the same time, however, he did not entirely adopt Cartesian doctrines but was even critical to the hypothesis of the flux and reflux. Steno, being famous as a founder of modern geology, made transcription from the many chapters of the first part of General Geography in his student years of Copenhagen(Chaos-manuscript, 1659). This shows the Steno's strong interest in the . meteorological and terrestrial phenomena since his early years and suggests high possibility that the Geography of 'Physics and Geography' in his Prodromus(1669, p.5) signified the Varen's General Geography. In this sense, therefore, the book should be reevaluated in the contexts of post-Cartesian theories of the Earth. The Dutch translation(1750) of the Varen's General Geography with numerous Newtonian annotations was introduced by ship to Japan and accepted by the Sendai Clan in 1829. This implies the introduction of the Newtonian theories of the Earth into Japan in the late Edo period, although there has hitherto been no obvious evidence that someone read the book to such an extent to utilize the knowledge. I could also show that the Description of the Realm of Japan(1649) and the General Geography shared the common sources concerning at least to the information of Japan and the Far East.