Magic, Reason and Science, 1450-1750

The subject will look at the categories of magic and reason in early modern Europe, especially in their role in the emergence of modern science. While magic and reason are often regarded as polar opposites, their relationship is often more complex. We will study how ‘magical thinking’ was understood in early modern Europe, how it was practiced in different fields of knowledge - from alchemy and demonology to medicine, technology and mathematics, and how these magical practices were transformed in the development of early modern science. We will also discuss what happened to the magical worldview in the eighteenth century, the period often held to be the Age of Reason. A particular emphasis of the subject will be on the complex relationship between scientific or philosophical change and social or cultural processes.