The Place of Magic in the Intellectual History of Europe, 1905,9780766179837

The Place of Magic in the Intellectual History of Europe, 1905

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ISBN13: 9780766179837
ISBN10: 0766179834
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2003-08-01
Publisher(s): Kessinger Pub
List Price: $19.95

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Summary

1905. This book is Volume XXIV, Number 1 of the Studies in History, Economics and Public Law series edited by the faculty of political science of Columbia University. Contents: illustrations of belief in magic in medieval and in early modern times; magic, its origins and relations to science; Pliny's natural history; some antecedents of the belief in magic in the Roman Empire; belief in magic in the Empire; critics of magic; last century of the Empire.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER I ILLUSTRATIONS OF BELIEF IN MAGIC IN MEDIIEVAL AND IN EARLY MODERN TIMES
General belief in witchcraft, in astrology, and in the existence of magicians
11(1)
Even the most educated men believed in astrology
12(1)
Further illustration of such beliefs among men of learning, and even among scientists
13(1)
Isidore and Bede
14(1)
Alexander of Neckam
15(1)
Michael Scot
16(2)
Roger Bacon
18(1)
Bacon's acceptance of astrology
18(1)
Bacon's belief in occult influence
19(1)
Vincent de Beauvais, Bernard Gordon, Albertus Magnus, Arnald of Villanova
19(1)
Cabalistic doctrines of Renaissance scholars
20(2)
Jerome Cardan
22(1)
Paracelsus and Tycho Brahe
22(1)
Francis Bacon
23(1)
Summary of these beliefs
23(1)
Question whether they are all closely connected
24(1)
Question whether they were regarded by their authors as magic
25(1)
Importance of magic
26(1)
CHAPTER II MAGIC; ITS ORIGINS, AND RELATIONS TO SCIENCE
Magic once regarded as a reality
27(1)
Magic praeternatural rather than supernatural
27(1)
Belief in magic perhaps older than belief in divine beings
28(1)
Magic not originally a secret art
28(1)
Attitude of primitive man towards nature
29(1)
His effort to explain strange phenomena
30(1)
His belief in lucky things
31(1)
His desire to know the future
31(1)
Renee the probable origin of belief in magic
31(1)
Chief characteristics of magic
32(1)
Difficulty in defining magic
33(1)
Gradual disappearance of magic before science
34(1)
Possible union of magic and science
34(1)
Importance of union of magic and science
35(1)
Method of treating that theme in this essay
36(1)
CHAPTER III PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY
A fitting starting-point for our discussion
37(19)
I. The Character of the Work:
Its extensive treatment of both science and magic
37(1)
Objections to regarding it as a true picture of ancient science
38(1)
Reasons for so regarding it
39(1)
Pliny the Boswell of ancient science
40(1)
Pliny's relation to mediaeval science
41(1)
II. Pliny's Discussion of Magic:
Its significance
41(1)
Pliny's remarks concerning the history of magic
42(1)
"Magic" false, according to Pliny
42(2)
"Magic" an obscene and criminal art, according to Pliny
44(1)
III. Illustrations of Pliny's Fundamental Belief in Magic:
Inconsistency of his declared scepticism
44(1)
His belief that animals possess magic properties
45(1)
His belief that plants have similar occult virtues
45(1)
Strange qualities of minerals
46(1)
Magical powers of man
47(1)
Efficacy of magical ceremonial
48(1)
Pliny's belief unmistakable
49(1)
Though probably limited
49(1)
Question as to extent of his belief in astrology
50(1)
His account of the heavenly bodies
50(1)
Influence of the stars upon our planet
51(1)
Influence of the stars upon man
52(1)
Belief of Pliny in portents
53(1)
Attitude of Pliny towards various popular superstitious observances
53(1)
Pliny not esoteric
54(1)
Conclusions to be drawn from the Natural History
54
CHAPTER IV SOME ANTECEDENTS OF THE BELIEF IN MAGIC IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Derivative and cosmopolitan character of intellectual life during the imperial period
56(1)
Extent of our discussion of its antecedents
56(1)
Question as to freedom of Greek thought from magic
57(1)
Some evidence to the contrary
57(2)
Doctrines of the Stoics favorable to magic
59(1)
Pythagorean theory of numbers
59(1)
Attitude of Plato towards "magic," as he understood the word
60(1)
Plato's fantastic view of nature
60(1)
Aristotle's acceptance of astrology
61(1)
Aristotle's History of Animals
62(1)
Cato's De Re Rustica
63(2)
CHAPTER V BELIEF IN MAGIC IN THE EMPIRE
Outline of contents of this chapter
65(24)
I. General Attitude:
Prejudice against "magic" and condemnation of Magi
65(1)
Views of Apuleius and of Philostratus
66(1)
In reality a widespread belief in magic
67(1)
Explanation of apparent opposition to astrology
68(1)
Galen
69(1)
Neo-Platonism
70(1)
Philosophy confounded with magic
71(1)
II. Philo of Alexandria and Allegorical Interpretation:
Question as to connection of allegorical interpretation with magic
72(1)
Historical importance of allegorical interpretation and of Philo
73(1)
Nature of Philo's allegorical interpretation
73(2)
His influence in the Middle Ages
75(1)
III. Seneca's Problems of Nature and Divination:
Scientific traits of Seneca
75(1)
His tendency to be esoteric and mystical
76(1)
Ground covered by his book
77(1)
His partial rejection of magic
77(1)
His acceptance of divination
78(1)
His discussion of divination from thunder
79(1)
IV. Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos and Astrology:
An illustration of the astrology of the scientist
80(1)
Ptolemy and his influence
80(1)
Scientific tone of the preliminary remarks in the Tetrabiblos
81(1)
An attempt to base astrology upon natural law
82(1)
Ptolemy's explanation of the influence of the planets
82(1)
Summary of remaining contents of his first book
83(1)
Contents of the other three books
83(1)
V. The Hermetic Books and Occultism:
Their nature and history, legendary and actual
84(2)
Their contents
86(1)
Their importance
87(1)
CHAPTER VI CRITICS OF MAGIC
Review of the usual attitude towards magic in the Roman Empire
88(11)
I. Opponents of Astrology:
Cicero, Favorinus and Sextus Empiricus
89(1)
Considerations which discount their scepticism
89(1)
Inadequacy of their arguments
90(1)
Astrology attacked as being impracticable
91(1)
General problem of sidereal influence left untouched
92(1)
II. Cicero's Attack upon Divination:
In a way an attack upon magic as a whole
93(1)
Form and arrangement of De Divination
94(1)
Its relations to the past and to the future
94(1)
Appeal of Quintus to antiquity and to tradition
94(1)
Cicero's reply; condemnation of reliance on tradition
95(1)
Divination declared quite distinct from science
95(1)
Divination declared quite contrary to the laws of science
96(1)
Idea of magical sympathy rejected
97(1)
Cicero's attitude very unusual for his time
98(1)
Question as to his consistency
98
CHAPTER VII THE LAST CENTURY OF THE EMPIRE
Intellectual characteristics of the period
99(1)
Marcellus of Bordeaux
99(1)
Ammianus Marcellinus
99(1)
His description of the state of learning at Alexandria
100(1)
His justification of divination as a science
101(1)
His extraordinary misquoting of Cicero
102(1)
Synesius
103(1)
His belief that all parts of the universe are in magic sympathy
103(1)
Further instances of his trust in magic
104(2)
Macrobius
106(2)
CHAPTER VIII CONCLUSION 108

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