On Joachim Jungius’ Texturæ Contemplatio

Michael Friedman is a Senior Lecturer at the Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas. The focus of his research is on how material, visual and symbolical knowledge and practices in mathematics interact with each other. More specifically, his research examines the material practices of mathematics (folding, weaving, braiding, knotting, as well as three-dimensional models) and how symbolical-mathematical knowledge was prompted by them. Recent publications: A History of Folding in Mathematics. Mathematizing the Margins (Birkhäuser, 2018); Grenzen der Formalisierung. Von Leibniz bis Lacan (with Angelika Seppi. Spector, 2021); Ramified Surfaces. On Branch Curves and Algebraic Geometry During the 20th Century (Birkhäuser, 2022)

• Chapter 1. Introduction: textiles, texture and natural philosophy in the 17th century.- Chapter 2. The Historical, Scientifical and Philosophical Background of Texturæ Contemplatio.- Chapter 3. The translation of Jungius’ Texturæ Contemplatio.- Chapter 4. On Jungius’ Texturæ Contemplatio.- Chapter 5. Coda: Leibniz on textiles, weaving and Texturæ Contemplatio. Chapter 6. Conclusion. A Fabric Rewoven.

"I enjoyed myself very much with this splendid study, which focuses on a highly complex yet fascinating subject. It is very well organized, profound, and informed by the latest scholarship. Additionally, it is structured in a subtle and engaging manner, guiding the reader through the discovery of one of Jungius’s intriguing 'collection of facts.' I strongly recommend this book to any student interested in exploring recent literature on the 17th-century history of mathematics, techniques, and scholarship ... .” (Alain Bernard, Historia Mathematica, March 7, 2025)