The place of magic in the intellectual history of Europe by Lynn Thorndike
"The Place of Magic in the Intellectual History of Europe" by Lynn Thorndike is a scholarly publication written in the early 20th century. This extensive work delves into the historical beliefs in magic, including witchcraft, astrology, and the relationship between magic and the early scientific thought of Europe. Thorndike examines how these beliefs were not merely relegated to the uneducated but were often accepted by learned and educated individuals across different historicalperiods. At the start of the text, the author highlights the prevalence of magical beliefs from the medieval period to early modern times, emphasizing that even educated figures believed in astrology and witchcraft. Thorndike introduces various historical figures, including Dante and Aquinas, who incorporated magical elements into their writings, portrayals, and theories. The opening discusses the general acceptance of magical beliefs among educated men, setting the stage for a more in-depth exploration of specific beliefs and their connections to the evolving landscape of science and philosophy throughout European history. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
The place of magic in the intellectual history of Europe
Original Publication
United States: Columbia university press,1905.
Series Title
Studies in history, economics and public law edited by the faculty of political science of Columbia University; v. 24, no. 1
Note
Reading ease score: 60.5 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.
Credits
Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)