Journal of the Philosophy of History

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The Astrolabe

An ancient instrument for solving problems of location and distance, as well as time

Astrolábon órganon is the word used in Ptolemaeus Syntaxis 5.1 to describe a form of armillary sphere consisting of both fixed and rotating rings for determining the ecliptic co-ordinates of stars. Also called astrolabe were two-dimensional representations of the celestial sphere: over fixed disks with a representation of the horizon of the earth (in each case for a specific geographic latitude) and its parallels up to the zenith lies a rotating representation of the heavens (called ‘spider’ or ‘net’) with zodiac and indicators for some of the brightest stars. On the back is an indicator (‘alidade’) with visor plates for calculating the height of the stars. The astrolabe allows its user to determine the hours of day and night, the positions of stars, and the height and depth of objects on earth (mountains, buildings, wells). The oldest extant descriptions of the flat, planispheric astrolabe come from Iohannes Philoponus, 6th century AD, and (in Syrian) from Severus Sebokht, c. 660 AD. Indirect references may date back as early as Theon (4th cent.). Between the 8th and the 9th centuries the Arabs appropriated the knowledge of the astrolabe. At the end of the 10th century and again in the 12th century, they passed it on to Western Europe, where astrolabes were constructed up until the 17th cent. Today, one Byzantine astrolabe (from 1062) is extant, as are some 750 Arabic-Islamic astrolabes and approximately the same number of European astrolabes.

This information is abstracted from Brill's New Pauly, the English edition of the authoritative Der Neue Pauly, Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. The encyclopaedic coverage and high academic standard of the work, the interdisciplinary and contemporary approach and clear and accessible presentation have made the New Pauly the unrivalled modern reference work for the ancient world. For more information see www.brillsnewpauly.com or visit our website catalog: www.brill.nl/bnp
Brill’s New Pauly and the complete original Der Neue Pauly, the recognized standard reference works for students and scholars of the ancient world are also available online. This dual-language edition offers basic and advanced search facilities and is fully browsable. New English translations are added as they become available. See www.paulyonline.brill.nl for more information and a demo version.

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Publications & Services> Books> Book Series> Journal of the Philosophy of History

Journal of the Philosophy of History

Editor-in-chief: Frank R. Ankersmit, University of Groningen Editors: Mark Bevir, UC Berkeley, Paul Roth, UC Santa Cruz, Aviezer Tucker, Queen’s University, Belfast, and Alison Wylie, University of Washington

Journals


ISSN:	1872-261X
E-ISSN:	1872-2636
Current:	Volume 3 (2009)
Number of Issues:	3
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List price Institutions:	€ 120.00 / US$ 176.00
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Editorial Board

Editor-in-chief Frank R. Ankersmit, University of Groningen Board of Editors Mark Bevir, UC Berkeley Paul Roth, UC Santa Cruz Jeff Malpas, University of Tasmania Editorial Board Arthur Danto, Columbia University Jonathan Gorman, Queen's University, Belfast Nicholas Jardine, Cambridge University Joseph Margolis, Temple University Murray Murphey, University of Pennsylvania Giuseppina d’Oro, Keele University Joe Rouse, Wesleyan University Quentin Skinner, Cambridge University Karsten Stueber, College of the Holy Cross John H. Zammito, Rice University

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Table of contents for published issues of Journal of the Philosophy of History can be found in the online edition.

Back Volumes

Journal of the Philosophy of History, Volume 1 (2007)

Journal of the Philosophy of History, Volume 2 (2008)

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Philosophy of history is a rapidly expanding area. There is growing interest today in: what constitutes knowledge of the past, the ontology of past events, the relationship of language to the past, and the nature of representations of the past. These interests are distinct from – although connected with – contemporary epistemology, philosophy of science, metaphysics, philosophy of language, and aesthetics. Hence we need a distinct venue in which philosophers can explore these issues. Journal of the Philosophy of History provides such a venue. Ever since neo-Kantianism, philosophy of history has been central to all of philosophy, whether or not particular philosophers recognized its potential significance. No philosophic account of knowledge and truth can be considered worthwhile unless it addresses the issue of how we relate to our past. Journal of the Philosophy of History assumes that epistemology, philosophy of language, and philosophy of science are incomplete if they ignore history. Once we historicize the relationship of language and the world, however, we raise a number of philosophical problems that call for deeper analysis and that are of the greatest significance for an adequate understanding of how language and science are possible. Journal of the Philosophy of History is a philosophical journal. It welcomes contributions from all the branches of philosophy that use history and historiography fruitfully, including epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, aesthetics, and value theory. It also welcomes the writing of history in so far as it elucidates and possibly solves philosophical problems.

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