Astrology and magic

85 - Sky Writing: Astronomy, Astrology, and Philosophy

Posted on 17 June 2012

Ptolemy uses philosophy in the service of studying the stars, while philosophers of all persuasions evaluate the widespread practice of astrology.

 
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93 - Pythagorean Theorems: Iamblichus

Posted on 9 September 2012

Iamblichus fuses Platonism with pagan religious conviction and sets the agenda for Neoplatonism in generations to come.

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94 - The Platonic Successor: Proclus

Posted on 16 September 2012

Proclus’ system, presented in original works and in commentaries on Plato and Euclid, integrates Neoplatonic philosophy with pagan religious belief and practice.

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158 - Born Under a Bad Sign: Freedom and Astrology in Jewish Philosophy

Posted on 12 January 2014

Abraham Ibn Ezra, Ibn Daud and Maimonides consider the philosophical implications of astrology as science flourishes in the Jewish culture of Andalusia.

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231. Origin of Species: Roger Bacon

Posted on 5 July 2015

Roger Bacon extols the power of science based on experience and uses a general theory of "species" to explain light and vision.

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232. Charles Burnett on Magic

Posted on 10 July 2015

Charles Burnett tells Peter about the role of magic in medieval intellectual life.

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57. Learn by Doing: Tantra

Posted on 7 January 2018

Philosophy is put into practice in Kashmir Śaivite Tantra and Buddhist Tantra.

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2. It’s Only Human: Philosophy in Prehistoric Africa

Posted on 15 April 2018

Might philosophy be as old as humankind as we know it? We investigate the implications of findings concerning the origins of humankind in Africa.

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3. Fertile Ground: Philosophy in Ancient Mesopotamia

Posted on 29 April 2018

Do the cuneiform writings of Babylonian culture show that it had its own philosophy?

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21. The Doctor Will See You Now: Divination, Witchcraft, and Knowledge

Posted on 3 February 2019

Special forms of knowledge and the explanation of misfortunes in African tradition.

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360. Dag N. Hasse on Arabic Learning in the Renaissance

Posted on 22 November 2020

An interview with Dag Nikolaus Hasse on the Renaissance reception of Averroes, Avicenna, and other authors who wrote in Arabic.

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366. The Men Who Saw Tomorrow: Renaissance Magic and Astrology

Posted on 14 February 2021

Ficino, Pico, Cardano, and other Renaissance thinkers debate whether astrology and magic are legitimate sciences with a foundation in natural philosophy.

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367. Brian Copenhaver on Renaissance Magic

Posted on 28 February 2021

Brian Copenhaver joins us to explain how Ficino and other Renaissance philosophers thought about magic.

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368. Boundless Enthusiasm: Giordano Bruno

Posted on 14 March 2021

Giordano Bruno’s stunning vision of an infinite universe with infinite worlds, and his own untimely end.

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386. Perhaps Not Wrong: Cornelius Agrippa

Posted on 19 December 2021

Was Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa a dark magician, a pious skeptic, or both?

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388. Just Add Salt: Paracelsus and Alchemy

Posted on 16 January 2022

Paracelsus adapts the tradition of alchemical science for use in medicine, and in the process overturns the scientific theories of Aristotle and Galen.

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394. Best of Both Worlds: Tycho Brahe

Posted on 10 April 2022

Responses to Copernicus in the 16th century, culminating with the master of astral observation Tycho Brahe.

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395. Music of the Spheres: Johannes Kepler

Posted on 24 April 2022

Kepler combines Brahe's observations, Copernicus' astronomy, and Platonist metaphysics.

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396. Lorraine Daston on Renaissance Science

Posted on 8 May 2022

Comets! Magnets! Armadillos! In this wide-ranging interview Lorraine Daston tells us how Renaissance and early modern scientists dealt with the extraordinary events they called "wonders".

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103. A Federal Case: Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo

Posted on 26 June 2022

Two Nigerian activists lead the struggle for independence, and clash over the competing values of national unity and ethnic diversity.

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410. Ann Blair on Jean Bodin's Natural Philosophy

Posted on 18 December 2022

A chat with Ann Blair about the "Theater of Nature" by Jean Bodin, and other encyclopedic works of natural philosophy. (Pictured: Prof Blair holding the annotated copy of Bodin's Theatrum she describes in the episode.)

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