Book Description
A history of the role that the occult has played in the formation of modern science and medicine, The Rosicrucian Enlightenment has had a tremendous impact on our understanding of the western esoteric tradition.
About the Author
Dame Frances Yates (1899-1981). English scholar who brought about the revival of interest in the historical role of the occult sciences, demonstrating their link with the rise of modern science.
Rosicrucian Enlightenment FROM OUR EDITORS
Removing Rosicrucianism from the realm of occultist studies, the author discusses the Rosicrucian Enlightenment as a stage in European culture intermediate between the Renaissance and the 17th-century scientific revolution--a phase in which the Hermetic-Cabalist tradition was influenced by the tradition of alchemy. Dr. Yates's book examines the mysterious Rosicrucian manifestos, documents published in Germany in the early 17th century. She ties these manifestos into movements stirred up by John Dee in Bohemia and with movements in Germany culminating with the short-lived reign of the "Winter" King and Queen. Other themes and personalities discussed include Johann Valentin Andreae, Robert Fludd, Boyle's "Invisible College," and the rise of the Royal Society and of Freemasonry. Blending the histories of religion and philosophy, this book views Rosicrucianism as an attempt to meld spiritual illumination with intellectual and scientific advancement.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
In the early seventeenth century two manifestos were published which proclaimed, in terms of magic, alchemy and the Cabala, the dawn of a new age of increased knowledge and power over nature. These anonymous documents (reproduced in the appendix to this work) were written on behalf of 'the Fraternity of the Rose Cross'. Ever since, this mysterious movement has been the subject of endless fascination, speculation and intrigue. In a remarkable piece of detective work, the renowned historian Frances Yates here reveals the truth about the 'Rosicrucian Enlightenment' and details its impact on Europe's political and cultural history. She transforms, for instance, our understanding of the origins of modern science by placing in the context of an occult tradition key figures such as Descartes, Bacon, Kepler and Newton. Beautifully illustrated, The Rosicrucian Enlightenment remains one of those rare works of scholarship which no reader can afford to ignore.
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