Abstract
The incorporation and elevation of practical knowledge was one of the most important innovations in Renaissance natural philosophy. Manipulating nature for productive ends came to be seen as a principle means of studying the natural world and the ability to do so as the best evidence that a true understanding had been achieved. As improving the human condition through the acquisition of practical knowledge gradually became a vital goal of pursuing natural philosophy, the social and intellectual status of those who possessed it was enhanced through their association with elite patrons and power brokers. At the same time, those elite patrons increased their own power and status by harnessing their clients’ practical knowledge, both to enrich themselves and to bolster the power and legitimacy of the burgeoning early modern nation-state.
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Ash, E.H. (2016). Practical Knowledge. In: Sgarbi, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Renaissance Philosophy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02848-4_965-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02848-4_965-1
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