Vita Contemplativa

Remarks on the aftermath of the Laon siege and on his publications’ reception by papal censors preface the chapter’s main subject, an account of Bodin’s contribution to natural theology, the Universae naturae theatrum. Presented as a dialogue, the work relies principally though by no means exclusively upon Aristotelian methodologies and draws on a range of source materials, with ancient authorities well to the fore. Bodin’s use of methodology and source, including evidence empirically obtained, is critically reviewed, as is his treatment of major natural scientific topics, notably motion. Via discussion of various natural phenomena and the doctrine of mean terms he arrives at a consideration of the soul, creation’s ‘universal bond’. A harmonious entity, the universe is subject always to God’s arbitrary interventions. Finally, the chapter discusses Bodin’s Paradoxon which, ostensibly challenging the Aristotelian doctrine of the mean, concerns itself ultimately with the will, the intellect, and the virtues.