Avner Ben-Zaken

In his most recent books, Ben-Zakan explores cross-cultural scientific exchanges between Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean during the early modern period.

A key focus is on disseminating Copernican cosmology and related discoveries to the eastern Mediterranean, where local astronomers adapted, expanded, and applied these ideas.

The main argument of the book is that science during the early modern period did not develop along isolated or linear paths, with each culture solely focused on its internal meanings.

Without parents, teachers, books, or language, the child uses trial and error to uncover the laws of physics, astronomy, and the principles of Aristotelian metaphysics.

The book traces the text's migration into early modern Europe and illustrates the complex ways autodidacticism was either embraced or rejected in various cultural contexts.

Furthermore, the book reveals that pleas for autodidacticism resonated within philosophical circles and were driven by broader struggles over control between individuals and institutions.

In 15th-century Florence, Pico della Mirandola challenged the spiritual limitations imposed by divine authority, grounding humanity in the physical reality of nature.

By the 17th century, experimentalists liberated humanity from metaphysics and developed frameworks of knowledge that emphasized self-discovery through empirical facts and personal credibility.

This evolution contributed to the creation of the "modern man", characterized as a solitary, self-controlled individual who uses reason to anticipate the outcomes of his actions.

By examining the mechanisms of ideology and the Marxist movement, the book illustrates that cultural interactions often evoke feelings of foreignness, leading to opposing directions.

[13] Ben-Zaken has long advocated for structural reforms[14] within the state apparatus to adapt to the rapidly changing economic and cultural landscape.

[15] He has consistently emphasized the need to transition Israel's electoral system to a district-based model, arguing that this change would enhance stability and better align political representatives with the interests of the populace.