This paper offers a caution that emphasis upon the importance of mathematics in recent historiography is in danger of obscuring the historical fact that, for the most part, mathematics was not seen as important in the pre-modern period. The paper proceeds by following a single case study, and in so doing offers the first account of the mathematical writings of Jean Fernel (1497-1558), better known as a leading medical innovator of the 16th century. After establishing Fernel's early commitment to mathematics, and attempt to forge a career as a cosmographer, it goes on to explain his abandonment of mathematics for a career in medicine. The 'mathematization of the world picture' is usually explained in terms of the perceived usefulness of mathematics, but Fernel's case shows that for many pre-modern thinkers, mathematics was not regarded as a useful pursuit. The paper should serve as a reminder, therefore, that the take-up of mathematics by natural philosophers was by no means inevitable, but had to be carefully managed by early modern mathematical practitioners. The case of Fernel indicates that perhaps he was not the only would-be mathematical practitioner to abandon mathematics in favor of a calling that was more appreciated by contemporaries.

中文翻译：

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“数学对公共福利没有贡献”：为什么让·费内尔 (1497-1558) 成为一名医生

本文提出了一个警告，即强调数学在近代史学中的重要性可能会掩盖历史事实，即在大多数情况下，数学在前现代时期并不重要。本文通过一个单一的案例研究继续进行，并在此过程中首次介绍了让·费内尔（Jean Fernel，1497-1558 年）的数学著作，他更广为人知的是 16 世纪领先的医学创新者。在确立了 Fernel 对数学的早期承诺并试图打造宇宙学家的职业之后，它继续解释了他放弃数学而从事医学事业的原因。“世界图景的数学化”通常用数学的感知有用性来解释，但 Fernel 的案例表明，对于许多前现代思想家来说，数学不被视为一种有用的追求。因此，这篇论文应该提醒人们，自然哲学家对数学的接受绝不是不可避免的，而是必须由早期现代数学实践者仔细管理。费尔内尔的案例表明，也许他并不是唯一一个放弃数学而支持同时代人更欣赏的职业的潜在数学实践者。