Acknowledgements
This book has come a long way, and could not have been realized without the help of many. Originally a Ph.D. dissertation, it is the result of several years of work at Ghent University under the supervision of Steven Vanden Broecke, who provided invaluable expertise in the field of early modern intellectual history and the history of science, and continues to do so. Financial support for the research project was provided by the Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO). Others from the then Ghent-based academic community to whom I’m grateful for their encouragement and for helping to shape ideas by providing feedback on papers and presentations were Eric Schliesser and Maarten Van Dyck. I would also like to thank the members of the doctoral jury, Patrick Boner, Kathleen Crowther, and Adam Mosley, for their expert advice and fresh perspectives.
Between dissertation and book came several years of other professional activities and, well, life. However, my wish and intention to publish my dissertation as a book didn’t fade. I’m grateful to Christoph Lüthy, the series editor of Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy and Science, for being able to realize this ambition in such a highly reputed book series. I would also like to thank the peer reviewers for their indispensable advice and the editorial team at Brill for making this publication possible.
My final and deepest thanks, of course, go to my dear family, to Peter, Felix, and Abke, to whom I dedicate this book.