2001/06/01 by Matthias Schramm · 9 citations
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Arabic #Art #Classics #Epistemology #Hebrew #Historical and Linguistic Studies #Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies #History #Law #Linguistics #Medieval and Classical Philosophy #Perspective (graphical) #Philosophy #Political science #Politics #Sociology #Visual arts
paper · doi:10.1017/s0269889701000102
published in Science in Context 14(1-2), 289-312 (Cambridge University Press)
openalex publication_date 2001/06/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
The article argues that Frederick II of Hohenstaufen and his court played a unique role in the transfer and diffusion of Arabic science (with its Greek, Hebrew and Christian elements). Scientists at the court translated and elaborated upon it. Moreover, there existed a two-way traffic of scientific knowledge between Frederick and his court scholars, on the one hand, and several oriental courts and their scientists on the other hand. Thus the reader gains a view of Frederick's scientific activities from the Arab perspective, too. Frederick's contribution to the existing biological sciences of his time was his “Book of Falconry”, which was exceptional in the then contemporary approach and methods employed in those fields. Even in this treatise on falconry, Frederick drew upon the fund of knowledge of Arab practitioners. This chain of arguments concerning Arabic science is situated within the setup of Frederick's oriental political practice and sumptuous court life.