Magic, mystery, and science : the occult in Western civilization

書誌事項

Magic, mystery, and science : the occult in Western civilization

Dan Burton and David Grandy

Indiana University Press, c2004

  • : pbk

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注記

Includes bibliographical references (p. 329-376) and index

内容説明・目次

巻冊次

: pbk ISBN 9780253216564

内容説明

"[P.D. Ouspensky's] yearning for a transcendent, timeless reality-one that cancels out physical disintegration and death-figures into science at some fundamental level. Einstein found solace in his theory of relativity, which suggested to him that events are ever-present in the space-time continuum. When his friend Michele Besso passed on shortly before his own death, he wrote: 'For us believing physicists the distinction between past, present, and future is only an illusion, even if a stubborn one.'" -from Magic, Mystery, and Science The triumph of science would appear to have routed all other explanations of reality. No longer does astrology or alchemy or magic have the power to explain the world to us. Yet at one time each of these systems of belief, like religion, helped shed light on what was dark to our understanding. Nor have the occult arts disappeared. We humans have a need for mystery and a sense of the infinite. Magic, Mystery, and Science presents the occult as a "third stream" of belief, as important to the shaping of Western civilization as Greek rationalism or Judeo-Christianity. The occult seeks explanations in a world that is living and intelligent-quite unlike the one supposed by science. By taking these beliefs seriously, while keeping an eye on science, this book aims to capture some of the power of the occult. Readers will discover that the occult has a long history that reaches back to Babylonia and ancient Egypt. It proceeds alongside, and frequently mingles with, religion and science. From the Egyptian Book of the Dead to New Age beliefs, from Plato to Adolf Hitler, occult ways of knowing have been used-and hideously abused-to explain a world that still tempts us with the knowledge of its dark secrets.

目次

Table of Contents: Introduction 1. Egyptians and the Occult 2. Magic and Miracles 3. Numerology, the Cabala, and Alchemy 4. Astrology: The Starry Heavens Above 5. Ancient Evil 6. Satans, Demons, and Jinn 7. Witches and Witch-hunts in the West 8. Spirits, Science, and Pseudoscience in the 19th Century 9. New Age Preludes: Up the Garden Path? 10. ESP and Psi Phenomena 11. Nazism and Ancestral German Memories 12. UFO and Alien Abductions 13. Gnosticism, Old and New 14. NDEs, New Age, and New Physics Notes List of Illustration Credits Index
巻冊次

ISBN 9780253343727

内容説明

P.D. Ouspensky's yearning for a transcendent, timeless reality - one that cancels out physical disintegration and death - figures into science at some fundamental level. Einstein found solace in his theory of relativity, which suggested to him that events are ever-present in the space-time continuum. When his friend Michele Besso passed on shortly before his own death, he wrote: "For us believing physicists the distinction between past, present, and future is only an illusion, even if a stubborn one." - from "Magic, Mystery, and Science". The triumph of science would appear to have routed all other explanations of reality. No longer does astrology or alchemy or magic have the power to explain the world to us. Yet at one time each of these systems of belief, like religion, helped shed light on what was dark to our understanding. Nor have the occult arts disappeared. We humans spend much of our time in darkness and in dreams, and though we may prefer solid ground beneath our feet, our need for mystery and a sense of the infinite remains. "Magic, Mystery, and Science" presents the occult as a "third stream" of belief, as important to the shaping of Western civilization as Greek rationalism or Judeo-Christianity. The history of the occult is intrinsically interesting, but it is also relevant to contemporary concerns, for modern culture never leaves behind as much of the past as one might suppose. The occult seeks explanations in a world that is living and intelligent - quite unlike the one supposed by science. By taking these beliefs seriously, while keeping an eye on science, this book aims to capture some of the power of the occult. Readers will discover that the occult has a long history that reaches back to Babylonia and ancient Egypt. It proceeds alongside, and frequently mingles with, religion and science. From the "Egyptian Book of the Dead" to New Age beliefs, from Plato to Adolf Hitler, occult ways of knowing have been used - and hideously abused - to explain a world that still tempts us with the knowledge of its dark secrets. Dan Burton is Assistant Professor of History and Political Science at the University of North Alabama. David Grandy is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Brigham Young University. He earned a Ph.D. in history and philosophy of science at Indiana University.

目次

  • Introduction 1. Egyptians and the Occult
  • 2. Magic and Miracles
  • 3. Numerology, the Cabala, and Alchemy
  • 4. Astrology: The Starry Heavens Above
  • 5. Ancient Evil
  • 6. Satans, Demons, and Jinn
  • 7. Witches and Witch-hunts in the West
  • 8. Spirits, Science, and Pseudoscience in the 19th Century
  • 9. New Age Preludes: Up the Garden Path?
  • 10. ESP and Psi Phenomena
  • 11. Nazism and Ancestral German Memories
  • 12. UFO and Alien Abductions
  • 13. Gnosticism, Old and New
  • 14. NDEs, New Age, and New Physics

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詳細情報

  • NII書誌ID(NCID)
    BA6476924X
  • ISBN
    • 0253343720
    • 0253216567
  • LCCN
    2003012243
  • 出版国コード
    us
  • タイトル言語コード
    eng
  • 本文言語コード
    eng
  • 出版地
    Bloomington, Ind.
  • ページ数/冊数
    xii, 390 p.
  • 大きさ
    24 cm
  • 分類
  • 件名
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