The thesis is concerned with the philosophy of several prominent characters during the reign of King Jamas VI and I. The first part deals with the period from the birth of James up to the Union of the Crowns in 1603, and the second part with his reign in England. 'Science' at this time did not necessarily imply the absence of irrational supernatural ideas. In Scotland the keen interaste in alchemy, astorology and the occult arts was not confined to the uneducated classes---it was afashionable pursuit for wealthy noblemen, and one which interested scientists such as John Napier. Even in England, where a strong Flizabothan tradition of navigation and related practical subjects had flourished, number mystiolan and other magical belief's affected the tradition. The attitude towards magic had undergone a transition since the Middle ages, when magic had been disapproved of because of the danger to religion, although its importance and reality had not been denied. The work of Neoplatonists of the Florentine Academy helped to restore the concept of magic to favour, and in the sixteenth conture it became even more prominent. Few cultured people entirely dissociated themselves from magic. The great enthusiasm for the occult sciences arose partly from the feeling that in them was the core of 'ancient' wisdom, and that a return to the sources might bring a solution to many intellectual problems. The influence of these "ancient' revelations of Hernes Trisnegistus and others had a very far-reaching effect on many branches of natural philosophy. The aim of this thesis has been to investigate the part played by the Hormetic and magical. Traditions during the development of sixteenth and seventeenths century science.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:592195 |
| Date | January 1967 |
| Creators | Bullough, Frances S. |
| Publisher | University of Aberdeen |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU293785 |
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