Manuscripts and Scientific Exchanges in Fourteenth-Century Paris and Oxford

The seminar is hybrid, available to attend in-person or via Zoom.

In France and England, scientific practices – here particularly astronomy and astrology – in universities were not as regulated as other disciplines, such as natural philosophy or theology. Although marginalised in the statutes, scientific practices were present in the universities and colleges of Paris and Oxford. Some of these practices were elementary, often performed by arts students, while others were achieved at the highest level by theologians or physicians. This type of learning is well documented in treatises produced by scholars. However, glimpses of the early stages of their work, prior to the composition of formal writing, can be found in their personal manuscripts, libraries, or marginal annotations. This paper investigates how these sources can provide evidence of exchanges between scholars, including manuscripts or ideas, and help to shape communities of learning and scientific practices. 

The manuscripts and annotations of two groups of scholars on both sides of the channel will be examined to provide insights into their activities and dynamics.