IntroductionPoesy and Scientia: Matters of Fancy

This introduction discusses some of the differences between modern and early modern ideas about literature and science. In the twenty-first century, literature and literary studies tend to be viewed as frivolous but fun, whilst the sciences are generally considered useful and productive but dull. This introduction suggests that these attitudes represent a striking departure from earlier ideas: in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, before the literary and scientific realms were fully distinguished, the two proto-disciplines were jointly and exuberantly engaged in the production of various forms of knowledge. Introducing the scope and aims of the volume, and summarising its contents, the introduction also covers topics including the entwinement of literary and natural philosophical discourses with developments in realms including theology and moral philosophy; and natural philosophers’ ambivalence about rhetorical and poetic language.