theologian concepts are evaluated by starting from the axiomatic of a rational
science. However, I wish to argue that, in spite to its unacceptability, incommensurability has played, and still plays today, a stimulating force in development of
new scientific and artistic thought. New ideas often are developing within the
unusual circumstances. Credo quia absurdum est! was attributed to Tertullianus
(Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, cca 160–cca 240) who evidently suggested the problem of incommensurability in his specific way.
In 16th, and at the beginning of 17th century, three actual viewpoints were
incommensurable, church-theologian, occult, and rational. The last two, represented
by alchemy and mechanical philosophy were the origins of scientific revolution.
Occultism has in Europe two sources, the philosophy of Renaissance, and
alchemy. Cosimo il Vecchio (1389–1464) the regnant of Florence has housed the
Church Consilium in 1439 which had the scope to unify western, catholic, and
eastern, the orthodox church. Besides the church fathers, the participants of the
Consillium were also the most famous thinkers and philosophers of that time. One
of them, Giorgio Gemisto Pletone (1355–1452) has proposed the general unification of all the religions, which were most influential on the development of the
European culture, with the special accent on the occult Egyptian tradition and the
pagane beliefs from ancient Greek and ancient Persia with its Zoroastrian religion.
The personification of such unification Pletone has found in Platone and the subsequent Platonism. The occult component has been additionally supported by the
discovery of the book Hieroglyphica, attributed (without arguments) to Horapollo.
The book consists of interpretations of Egyptian hieroglyphic scripts as a symbolic
language about the secret occult knowledge. In the same time, in Florence has
circulated also the version of Trismegistos Tabula Smaragdina. Such mixture of
occultism, and revitalization of the classical antiquity has triggered the appearance
of new viewpoints, development of science and professional art. The ideal about the
Prisca theologia in principle originate from the same Pletone. Marsilio Ficino has
accepted these ideas, and, by suggestion of Cosimo il Vecchio, he has organized the
Neoplatonic institutions. However, most of the participants of the Consillium did
not support Pletone.
As we know from previous lectures, another source of occultism was alchemy.
This occult discipline was heretic, and unacceptable in the countries which were
under the strong influence of the Roman Curia (Curia Romana). Consequently, the
most of alchemists were moved to protestant countries and, partially, in France
where the Church was less sensitive on the Copernican changes of scientific
paradigm. In these countries, new synthesis in natural philosophy has appeared:
Cartesius, René Descartes (1596–1650) has finally unified geometry and arithmetic by introducing the numerical description and mathematical representations of
geometrical objects. In natural sciences, the prevailing method became the quantitative approach.
Transformations of geometrical objects were in the base of the representation of
the world considered as an un-ended and perfect mechanical machine. “Numerization” of geometry has encouraged the scientists to believe in the possibility of the
48
5 Occult Enlightenment
science. However, I wish to argue that, in spite to its unacceptability, incommensurability has played, and still plays today, a stimulating force in development of
new scientific and artistic thought. New ideas often are developing within the
unusual circumstances. Credo quia absurdum est! was attributed to Tertullianus
(Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, cca 160–cca 240) who evidently suggested the problem of incommensurability in his specific way.
In 16th, and at the beginning of 17th century, three actual viewpoints were
incommensurable, church-theologian, occult, and rational. The last two, represented
by alchemy and mechanical philosophy were the origins of scientific revolution.
Occultism has in Europe two sources, the philosophy of Renaissance, and
alchemy. Cosimo il Vecchio (1389–1464) the regnant of Florence has housed the
Church Consilium in 1439 which had the scope to unify western, catholic, and
eastern, the orthodox church. Besides the church fathers, the participants of the
Consillium were also the most famous thinkers and philosophers of that time. One
of them, Giorgio Gemisto Pletone (1355–1452) has proposed the general unification of all the religions, which were most influential on the development of the
European culture, with the special accent on the occult Egyptian tradition and the
pagane beliefs from ancient Greek and ancient Persia with its Zoroastrian religion.
The personification of such unification Pletone has found in Platone and the subsequent Platonism. The occult component has been additionally supported by the
discovery of the book Hieroglyphica, attributed (without arguments) to Horapollo.
The book consists of interpretations of Egyptian hieroglyphic scripts as a symbolic
language about the secret occult knowledge. In the same time, in Florence has
circulated also the version of Trismegistos Tabula Smaragdina. Such mixture of
occultism, and revitalization of the classical antiquity has triggered the appearance
of new viewpoints, development of science and professional art. The ideal about the
Prisca theologia in principle originate from the same Pletone. Marsilio Ficino has
accepted these ideas, and, by suggestion of Cosimo il Vecchio, he has organized the
Neoplatonic institutions. However, most of the participants of the Consillium did
not support Pletone.
As we know from previous lectures, another source of occultism was alchemy.
This occult discipline was heretic, and unacceptable in the countries which were
under the strong influence of the Roman Curia (Curia Romana). Consequently, the
most of alchemists were moved to protestant countries and, partially, in France
where the Church was less sensitive on the Copernican changes of scientific
paradigm. In these countries, new synthesis in natural philosophy has appeared:
Cartesius, René Descartes (1596–1650) has finally unified geometry and arithmetic by introducing the numerical description and mathematical representations of
geometrical objects. In natural sciences, the prevailing method became the quantitative approach.
Transformations of geometrical objects were in the base of the representation of
the world considered as an un-ended and perfect mechanical machine. “Numerization” of geometry has encouraged the scientists to believe in the possibility of the
48
5 Occult Enlightenment