Reassessing Late Medieval Pharmacology: Logical and Metaphysical Tools in the Medical Context

Introduction

ReMedY addresses the metaphysical, logical and epistemological implications of late medieval pharmacological classifications. Medieval pharmacology was often divided into a rational and a practical part.

Rational Pharmacology

Rational pharmacology dealt with the theories of drug classification, explaining how to recognize the substance and the qualities of a drug and how to differentiate it from other drugs. Rational pharmacology was thoroughly re-systematized during the 14th century in various university milieus, having been influenced by scholastic philosophy.

Influence of Bologna

It is generally acknowledged that the faculty of medicine at Bologna played a central role in this process, due to its strong connection with the philosophical tradition. It is clear that some Bolognese masters were influenced by French modism, which based logic on ontology, dividing reality into the three 'modi' of being, knowledge and meaning.

Research Gap

Yet, it has never been investigated how this philosophical debate has influenced rational pharmacology or how it has provided it with indispensable theoretical tools.

Project Overview

And this is exactly where this project comes into the picture: ReMedY’s unconventional and cross-disciplinary approach connects modist doctrines and pharmacological theories, providing an innovative interpretative key regarding the correlation between rational pharmacology and philosophy during the Middle Ages.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis of the project, namely that modist theories influenced a distinct tradition of late medieval rational pharmacology, is entirely original.

Methodology

My team and I will link research fields that have been kept apart, but whose organic connections provide a new perspective on medieval philosophy.

Research Approach

Combining philological, editorial, historical and epistemological approaches, the ReMedY team will deal with pharmacological texts from different geographical areas and provide access to previously unedited sources of historical scientific value through critical (and digital) editions and doctrinal studies.