Magic in Western Culture: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781107070523)

The story of the beliefs and practices called 'magic' starts in ancient Iran, Greece, and Rome, before entering its crucial Christian phase in the Middle Ages. Centering on the Renaissance and Marsilio Ficino - whose work on magic was the most influential account written in premodern times - this groundbreaking book treats magic as a classical tradition with foundations that were distinctly philosophical. Besides Ficino, the premodern story of magic also features Plotinus, Iamblichus, Proclus, Aquinas, Agrippa, Pomponazzi, Porta, Bruno, Campanella, Descartes, Boyle, Leibniz, and Newton, to name only a few of the prominent thinkers discussed in this book. Because pictures play a key role in the story of magic, this book is richly illustrated.

Author: Brian P. Copenhaver
ISBN-10: 110707052X
ISBN-13: 9781107070523
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 09/09/2015
Pages: 612
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 2.13lbs
Size: 9.31h x 6.34w x 1.48d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 03/01/2016