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

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ISBN: 9780766179837 | 0766179834
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 8/1/2003

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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.

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

(1)

Even the most educated men believed in astrology

(1)

Further illustration of such beliefs among men of learning, and even among scientists

(1)

Isidore and Bede

(1)

Alexander of Neckam

(1)

Michael Scot

(2)

Roger Bacon

(1)

Bacon's acceptance of astrology

(1)

Bacon's belief in occult influence

(1)

Vincent de Beauvais, Bernard Gordon, Albertus Magnus, Arnald of Villanova

(1)

Cabalistic doctrines of Renaissance scholars

(2)

Jerome Cardan

(1)

Paracelsus and Tycho Brahe

(1)

Francis Bacon

(1)

Summary of these beliefs

(1)

Question whether they are all closely connected

(1)

Question whether they were regarded by their authors as magic

(1)

Importance of magic

(1)

CHAPTER II MAGIC; ITS ORIGINS, AND RELATIONS TO SCIENCE

Magic once regarded as a reality

(1)

Magic praeternatural rather than supernatural

(1)

Belief in magic perhaps older than belief in divine beings

(1)

Magic not originally a secret art

(1)

Attitude of primitive man towards nature

(1)

His effort to explain strange phenomena

(1)

His belief in lucky things

(1)

His desire to know the future

(1)

Renee the probable origin of belief in magic

(1)

Chief characteristics of magic

(1)

Difficulty in defining magic

(1)

Gradual disappearance of magic before science

(1)

Possible union of magic and science

(1)

Importance of union of magic and science

(1)

Method of treating that theme in this essay

(1)

CHAPTER III PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY

A fitting starting-point for our discussion

(19)

I. The Character of the Work:

Its extensive treatment of both science and magic

(1)

Objections to regarding it as a true picture of ancient science

(1)

Reasons for so regarding it

(1)

Pliny the Boswell of ancient science

(1)

Pliny's relation to mediaeval science

(1)

II. Pliny's Discussion of Magic:

Its significance

(1)

Pliny's remarks concerning the history of magic

(1)

"Magic" false, according to Pliny

(2)

"Magic" an obscene and criminal art, according to Pliny

(1)

III. Illustrations of Pliny's Fundamental Belief in Magic:

Inconsistency of his declared scepticism

(1)

His belief that animals possess magic properties

(1)

His belief that plants have similar occult virtues

(1)

Strange qualities of minerals

(1)

Magical powers of man

(1)

Efficacy of magical ceremonial

(1)

Pliny's belief unmistakable

(1)

Though probably limited

(1)

Question as to extent of his belief in astrology

(1)

His account of the heavenly bodies

(1)

Influence of the stars upon our planet

(1)

Influence of the stars upon man

(1)

Belief of Pliny in portents

(1)

Attitude of Pliny towards various popular superstitious observances

(1)

Pliny not esoteric

(1)

Conclusions to be drawn from the Natural History

CHAPTER IV SOME ANTECEDENTS OF THE BELIEF IN MAGIC IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE

Derivative and cosmopolitan character of intellectual life during the imperial period

(1)

Extent of our discussion of its antecedents

(1)

Question as to freedom of Greek thought from magic

(1)

Some evidence to the contrary

(2)

Doctrines of the Stoics favorable to magic

(1)

Pythagorean theory of numbers

(1)

Attitude of Plato towards "magic," as he understood the word

(1)

Plato's fantastic view of nature

(1)

Aristotle's acceptance of astrology

(1)

Aristotle's History of Animals

(1)

Cato's De Re Rustica

(2)

CHAPTER V BELIEF IN MAGIC IN THE EMPIRE

Outline of contents of this chapter

(24)

I. General Attitude:

Prejudice against "magic" and condemnation of Magi

(1)

Views of Apuleius and of Philostratus

(1)

In reality a widespread belief in magic

(1)

Explanation of apparent opposition to astrology

(1)

Galen

(1)

Neo-Platonism

(1)

Philosophy confounded with magic

(1)

II. Philo of Alexandria and Allegorical Interpretation:

Question as to connection of allegorical interpretation with magic

(1)

Historical importance of allegorical interpretation and of Philo

(1)

Nature of Philo's allegorical interpretation

(2)

His influence in the Middle Ages

(1)

III. Seneca's Problems of Nature and Divination:

Scientific traits of Seneca

(1)

His tendency to be esoteric and mystical

(1)

Ground covered by his book

(1)

His partial rejection of magic

(1)

His acceptance of divination

(1)

His discussion of divination from thunder

(1)

IV. Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos and Astrology:

An illustration of the astrology of the scientist

(1)

Ptolemy and his influence

(1)

Scientific tone of the preliminary remarks in the Tetrabiblos

(1)

An attempt to base astrology upon natural law

(1)

Ptolemy's explanation of the influence of the planets

(1)

Summary of remaining contents of his first book

(1)

Contents of the other three books

(1)

V. The Hermetic Books and Occultism:

Their nature and history, legendary and actual

(2)

Their contents

(1)

Their importance

(1)

CHAPTER VI CRITICS OF MAGIC

Review of the usual attitude towards magic in the Roman Empire

(11)

I. Opponents of Astrology:

Cicero, Favorinus and Sextus Empiricus

(1)

Considerations which discount their scepticism

(1)

Inadequacy of their arguments

(1)

Astrology attacked as being impracticable

(1)

General problem of sidereal influence left untouched

(1)

II. Cicero's Attack upon Divination:

In a way an attack upon magic as a whole

(1)

Form and arrangement of De Divination

(1)

Its relations to the past and to the future

(1)

Appeal of Quintus to antiquity and to tradition

(1)

Cicero's reply; condemnation of reliance on tradition

(1)

Divination declared quite distinct from science

(1)

Divination declared quite contrary to the laws of science

(1)

Idea of magical sympathy rejected

(1)

Cicero's attitude very unusual for his time

(1)

Question as to his consistency

CHAPTER VII THE LAST CENTURY OF THE EMPIRE

Intellectual characteristics of the period

(1)

Marcellus of Bordeaux

(1)

Ammianus Marcellinus

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

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