Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Artes mechanicae
(1,147 words)

1. Definition

In scholarly written language of the pre-industrial period, the Latin term artes mechanicae (“mechanical arts”) was a synonym for crafts and trades in the broadest sense; it played an important role primarily in classifications of human knowledge and skills. From the 16th century onwards, it also embraced applied areas of mechanics, although its proximity to the latter and to engi…

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Popplow, Marcus, “Artes mechanicae”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_017093>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20160321



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