논문 : 존 가우어의 우주관 = John Gower`s Universe

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Confessio Amantis makes use of the Christian confession, a confession of seven deadly sins against Love as a frame story for a collection of short tales. In the prologue, he tells the numerous failings in the estates of government, church, and commoners of his time. Gower as a moral and politically concerned writer regards the medieval world in which he lives as hopelessly divided and in danger of collapse. In this context he tries to make up the "lore"(teaching) especially through the long digression of Book 7. Departing from the confession of seven deadly sins, Genius teaches Aman the education given by Aristotle to Alexander the Great, which becomes a wisdom book on the instruction of the king. Genius instructs Aman science and philosophy, specially astronomy in detail and the proper governance of the realm. Out of Book 7, this paper mainly focuses Gower`s discussion of Astronomy(Bk 7. 625-1506). Astronomy as a course of medieval undergraduate`s education was taught to understand the motions of the heavens, to order the calendar, to aid biblical exegesis, and also to predict astrological influences on the world. In Book 7 Gower, following Aristotle, divides knowledge into three categories - Theory, Rhetoric, Practice - and astronomy belongs not to physics but to mathematics which in turn belongs to Theory. While Gower repeatedly says he is following mainly Aristotelian and Ptolemy`s concept of universe, Gower`s knowledge of astronomy makes it clear that his concept of universe is medieval Christian universe in which God is the regulating principle. Under the topic of astronomy Gower deals creation of four elements (earth, water, air, fire) with Orbis the 5th element, four temperaments (melancholy, phlegm, sanguine, choler), the division of the world as the preliminary background knowledge of astronomy. Then he discusses the seven planets following the order of Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The twelve signs of the zodiac in relation with planets and temperaments follows. Finally, he describes the fifteen stars in terms of brightness, gems, and herbs: Aldebaran, the Pleiades, Algol. Alhaiot, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Arial, Ala Corvi, Alaezel, Almareth, Venenas, Alpheta, Cor Scorpionis, Boter Cadent, Tail of Scorpion. Gower`s universe is the Earth centered one which is governed by God and planetary observations were thought to be useful for astrological predictions and for medical practice, since the planets, the zodiac, and the stars were thought to be closely related to the organs of the human body. In this sense Gower`s concept of universe is the synthesis of Christian and classical ideas which is also the characteristic of the medieval synthesis of theology and science or philosophy. As C. S. Lewis pointed out the delight in the Medieval Model(Medieval concept of universe) is expressed by poets such as Dante or Jean de Meung rather than by philosophers, I assert that this is also the case for John Gower. Through his long discussion of astronomy in Bk 7, Gower shows his understanding of universe is human oriented ethical one which tries to grasp the way of good living in search for Truth, the sovereign virtue of all.