Read A Magical World: Superstition and Science from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment

A Magical World: Superstition and Science from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment

Derek K. Wilson

4.9/5 (9963 ratings)

Description:Spanning some of the most vibrant and fascinating eras in European history, Cambridge historian Derek Wilson reveals a society filled with an ardent desire for knowledge and astounding discoveries—and the fantastic discoveries that flowered from it. There was the discovery of the movement of blood around the body; the movement of the earth around the sun; the velocity of falling objects (and why those objects fell).But these these thinkers were steeped in—and drew from—intellectual traditions that might surprise us. There was folk religion, which in its turn had deep roots in a pagan past. Others referred to spirits or tapped into stores of ancient wisdom and herbal remedies. This was the world of wise women, witches, necromancers, potions and incantations.Even the mighty Catholic Church, which permeated all elements of life, had its own "magical" traditions. Devote believers and accomplished scientists alike both pursued alchemy. Astrology, also a rapidly developing field, was based on the belief that human affairs were controlled by the movement of heavenly bodies. Casting horoscopes was a near-universal practice, from the papacy to the peasantry. Yet from this heady cultural mix, the scientific method would spring. But it was not just Europe where this tidal wave of intellectual innovation was colliding with folk wisdom to create something new. The twelfth-century Islamic polymath, Averroes, has been called 'the father of secular thought' because of his landmark treatises on astronomy, physics and medicine. Jewish scholars melded mysticism to create the esoteric disciplines of the Kabbalah.By the mid-seventeenth century, "science mania" was in full flower. In 1663, The Royal Society in London received its charter. Just three years later, the French Academy of Sciences was founded, and other European capitals rapidly followed suit. In 1725, the word "science" was at last defined as "a branch of study concerned either with a connected body of demonstrated truths or with observed facts systematically classified." Yet just nine years before, the last witch had been executed in Britain. Fascinating and thought-provoking, A Magical World is a reminder of humanity's paradoxical nature—our passionate pursuit of knowledge alongside deep-rooted fears, superstitions, and traditions.We have made it easy for you to find a PDF Ebooks without any digging. And by having access to our ebooks online or by storing it on your computer, you have convenient answers with A Magical World: Superstition and Science from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment. To get started finding A Magical World: Superstition and Science from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, you are right to find our website which has a comprehensive collection of manuals listed.
Our library is the biggest of these that have literally hundreds of thousands of different products represented.

Pages: —

Format: PDF, EPUB & Kindle Edition

Publisher: —

Release: —

ISBN: 1681776456

Description: Spanning some of the most vibrant and fascinating eras in European history, Cambridge historian Derek Wilson reveals a society filled with an ardent desire for knowledge and astounding discoveries—and the fantastic discoveries that flowered from it. There was the discovery of the movement of blood around the body; the movement of the earth around the sun; the velocity of falling objects (and why those objects fell).But these these thinkers were steeped in—and drew from—intellectual traditions that might surprise us. There was folk religion, which in its turn had deep roots in a pagan past. Others referred to spirits or tapped into stores of ancient wisdom and herbal remedies. This was the world of wise women, witches, necromancers, potions and incantations.Even the mighty Catholic Church, which permeated all elements of life, had its own "magical" traditions. Devote believers and accomplished scientists alike both pursued alchemy. Astrology, also a rapidly developing field, was based on the belief that human affairs were controlled by the movement of heavenly bodies. Casting horoscopes was a near-universal practice, from the papacy to the peasantry. Yet from this heady cultural mix, the scientific method would spring. But it was not just Europe where this tidal wave of intellectual innovation was colliding with folk wisdom to create something new. The twelfth-century Islamic polymath, Averroes, has been called 'the father of secular thought' because of his landmark treatises on astronomy, physics and medicine. Jewish scholars melded mysticism to create the esoteric disciplines of the Kabbalah.By the mid-seventeenth century, "science mania" was in full flower. In 1663, The Royal Society in London received its charter. Just three years later, the French Academy of Sciences was founded, and other European capitals rapidly followed suit. In 1725, the word "science" was at last defined as "a branch of study concerned either with a connected body of demonstrated truths or with observed facts systematically classified." Yet just nine years before, the last witch had been executed in Britain. Fascinating and thought-provoking, A Magical World is a reminder of humanity's paradoxical nature—our passionate pursuit of knowledge alongside deep-rooted fears, superstitions, and traditions.We have made it easy for you to find a PDF Ebooks without any digging. And by having access to our ebooks online or by storing it on your computer, you have convenient answers with A Magical World: Superstition and Science from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment. To get started finding A Magical World: Superstition and Science from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, you are right to find our website which has a comprehensive collection of manuals listed.
Our library is the biggest of these that have literally hundreds of thousands of different products represented.

Special Offer | $0.00

Special Offer! | $0.00

A Magical World: Superstition and Science from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment

A Magical World: Superstition and Science from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment

More Books

The Uncrowned Kings of England: The Black History of the Dudleys and the Tudor Throne

The Uncrowned Kings of England: The Black History of the Dudleys and the Tudor Throne

The Plantagenets: The Kings That Made Britain

The Plantagenets: The Kings That Made Britain

All the King's Women: Love, Sex and Politics in the Life of Charles II

All the King's Women: Love, Sex and Politics in the Life of Charles II

The People's Bible: The Remarkable History of the King James Version

The People's Bible: The Remarkable History of the King James Version

The King and the Gentleman: Charles Stuart and Oliver Cromwell, 1599-1649

The King and the Gentleman: Charles Stuart and Oliver Cromwell, 1599-1649

Oceans (Dark Drabbles, #9)

Oceans (Dark Drabbles, #9)

Calvinist Artists and Writers, Including: John Bunyan, Augustus Montague Toplady, Horatius Bonar, Derek Webb, John Frame, R. C. Sproul, Steve Camp, David Eugene Edwards, Constantia Zierenberg, Douglas Wilson (Theologian), Wes King, Peter Leithart

Calvinist Artists and Writers, Including: John Bunyan, Augustus Montague Toplady, Horatius Bonar, Derek Webb, John Frame, R. C. Sproul, Steve Camp, David Eugene Edwards, Constantia Zierenberg, Douglas Wilson (Theologian), Wes King, Peter Leithart

A Brief History of Henry VIII: King, Reformer and Tyrant (Brief Histories)

A Brief History of Henry VIII: King, Reformer and Tyrant (Brief Histories)

Dead Stars and Stone Arches: A Collection of Utah Horror

Dead Stars and Stone Arches: A Collection of Utah Horror