The Absorption of Occult Traditions into Early Modern Natural Philosophy: A New Account of the Decline of Magic

Abstract

This paper explores different ways of using occult teachings and, first of all, magical tradition in the process of development of modern European science. The author argues against a widespread opinion that modern science appeared as a clear antithesis to pre-scientific forms of research and knowledge; using concrete examples, he claims that certain elements of occult traditions (first of all, natural magic) were included into a new natural philosophy which substituted the old Aristotelian one, while other elements (f. e. demonology) were discarded; the later notion that magic could be reduced to only these discarded elements has proven to be wrong.