- Robert Fludd
Robert Fludd, also known as Robertus de Fluctibus (1574,
Bearsted, Kent –September 8 1637 ,London ) was a prominent English Paracelsianphysician ,astrologer , and mystic. He was not a member of theRosicrucians , as often alleged, but he defended their thoughts in the "Apologia Compendiaria" of 1616. [ William H. Huffman, "Robert Fludd and the end of the Renaissance" (Routledge London & New York, 1988)] He was the son of Sir Thomas Fludd, a high-ranking governmental official (Queen Elizabeth I 's treasurer for war inEurope ).He obtained an MD from
University of Oxford .Between 1598 and 1604, Fludd studied medicine, chemistry and the
occult on the European mainland, but he is best known for his research in occultphilosophy . He had a celebrated exchange of views withJohannes Kepler concerning the scientific and hermetic approaches to knowledge. [Wolfgang Pauli , "Wolfgang Pauli - Writings on physics and philosophy", translated by Robert Schlapp and edited by P. Enz and Karl von Meyenn (Springer Verlag, Berlin, 1994), Section 21, "The influence of archetypical ideas on the scientific theories of Kepler". ISBN 354-05685-9X, ISBN 978-354-05685-99.] His philosophy is presented in "Utriusque Cosmi, Maioris scilicet et Minoris, metaphysica, physica, atque technica Historia" ("Themetaphysical , physical, and technical history of the two worlds, namely the greater and the lesser", published inGermany between 1617 and 1621) [ Karsten Kenklies, "Wissenschaft als Ethisches Programm. Robert Fludd und die Reform der Bildung im 17. Jahrhundert" (Jena, 2005)] ; according toFrances Yates , hismemory system (which she describes in detail in "The Art of Memory," pp. 321-341) may reflect the layout ofShakespeare 'sGlobe Theatre ("The Art of Memory," Chapter XVI).In 1618, Fludd wrote "De Musica Mundana" ("Mundane Music") which described his theories of music, including his mundane (also known as "divine" or "celestial")
monochord . [Manly P. Hall , "The Secret Teachings of All Ages: An Encyclopedic outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic, and Rosicrucian symbolical philosophy" (H.S. Crocker Company, Inc., 1928)]In 1630, Fludd proposed many
perpetual motion machine s. People were trying to patent variations of Fludd's machine in the 1870s. Fludd's machine worked byrecirculation by means of awater wheel andArchimedean screw . The devicepump s the water back into its own supplytank . [http://www.uh.edu/engines/pmm1.jpg] [http://www.windmillworld.com/mills/images/fludd1618.gif]Fludd was the first person to discuss the circulation of the blood, and did in fact arrive at the correct conclusion. His conclusion was based on the
macrocosm -microcosm analogy, a theory in which all occurrences in the microcosm (man) are influenced by the macrocosm (the heavens). His theory was that the blood must circulate because theheart is like thesun and the blood like theplanet s and, by this time, it was known that the planetsorbit around the sun.William Harvey later explained the circulation of blood in more modern and experimental terms, though still referring to the macrocosm-microcosm analogy of Fludd.Gwynedd connection
He was a descendant of Cunedda "Wledig" ap Edern, King of Gwynedd, which is now part of
Wales .Gwynedd is one of two areas in Wales that has been ruled by Irish royal immigrants; the other being
Dyfed .In popular culture
In
conspiracy theories , such as the one promoted in "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail ", Fludd been alleged to be the sixteenth Grand Master of the Priory of Sion.Notes
Further reading
*Allen G. Debus, "The English Paracelsians", New York: Watts, 1965.
*Tita French Baumlin, "Robert Fludd," "The Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 281: British Rhetoricians and Logicians, 1500-1660, Second Series", Detroit: Gale, 2003, pp. 85-99.
*J. B. Craven, "Doctor Fludd (Robertus de Fluctibus), the English Rosicrucian: Life and Writings", Kirkwall: William Peace & Son, 1902.
*Joscelyn Godwin, "Robert Fludd: Hermetic Philosopher and Surveyor of Two Worlds", London: Thames and Hudson, 1979.
*Frances A. Yates, "The Art of Memory", London: Routledge, 1966.
*William H. Huffman, ed., "Robert Fludd: Essential Readings", London: Aquarian/Thorsons, 1992.External links
*Robert Fludd [http://www.levity.com/alchemy/fludd1.html biography] at Levity
*Fludd's "magnum opus", [http://billheidrick.com/Orpd/RFludd/ 'Utriusque Cosmi maioris salicet et minoris metaphysica..'(1617-1619)] is available asZIP orPDF download.
*A large section of [http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=/naturae&CISOSORT=descri|f 'Utriusque Cosmi maioris salicet et minoris metaphysica..'] is available as page images at the University of Utah.
*JR Ritman Library: [http://www.ritmanlibrary.nl/c/p/exh/tre/tre_40.html Treasures from the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica]
*Robert Fludd [http://www.ralph-abraham.org/ficino/chronos/fludd.txt chronology]
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