Objective
MECHANISM investigates how fourteenth-century Europeans used the newly invented mechanical clock as a metaphor to conceptualise and communicate ideas about the world and society. To many learned observers, its intricate mechanism mirrored the cosmos, the human person, or the political order. Yet, unlike later early-modern models of a self-regulating universe or a perfectly ordered state, medieval comparisons appeared to emphasise fragility, the need for regulation, and reliance on the horologist who kept unreliable devices running. The project examines how such images emerged, what they meant to their creators, and how they were mobilised in philosophical and rhetorical contexts.
The metaphorical uses of clockwork in the 14th century remain underexplored. Research is fragmented across disciplines, often based on narrow corpora and shaped by teleological narratives that treat medieval metaphors as precursors of early modern thought. MECHANISM addresses this gap by compiling the first systematic inventory of clockwork analogies, analysing their intellectual and rhetorical functions across genres, and situating them in their social and political settings. Its approach combines intellectual history, the history of knowledge, and pragmatic sociology with historical network analysis.
By placing these images within what I call the fourteenth-century “mechanical turn” – when mechanical devices became a major preoccupation of intellectual and cultural life – the project moves beyond linear histories of technological progress. It will test the idea that the rise of the clock as a model of cosmic and social order, together with the figure of its horologist, was part of a wider reconfiguration of knowledge and culture in which courts played a central role and artisanal expertise acquired new value. By showing how a past society interpreted new technology through its cultural and political concerns, MECHANISM adds historical depth to current debates on emerging technologies.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
E1 4NS LONDON
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.