Apian Cosmographia

From Petrus Apian, Libro dela Cosmographia, 1548. MPIWG Library.

Umbrella Research Theme (2017-)

I. Global Perspectives of Knowledge


Globalization can be traced back to the beginnings of human history. Its processes typically involve several layers, such as the migration of populations, the spread of technologies, and the dissemination of languages, religious ideas, or of political and economic structures. By studying the global perspectives of knowledge in history, an epistemological framework has been elaborated that enables systematic analysis of the historical processes of technology transfer, the spread of epistemic frameworks, the dynamic relation between local and global knowledge traditions, and the globalization of modern science. This epistemological framework makes use of a classification of different forms of knowledge, of different forms of representation, as well as transmission and transformation processes.