文藝復興魔法：沉思抑或操作？－從皮科．米蘭多拉的魔法理論透視耶茨論題

Renaissance Magic: Contemplation or Operation? - The Yates Thesis from the Perspective of Pico Mirandola's Theory of Magic

吳功青(WU Gongqing)

《基督教文化學刊》 44期 (2020/12) Pp. 229-248

並列摘要

In her representative work Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition, British historian of science Frances Yates suggests that unlike ancient Greek philosophy or medieval theology, Renaissance magic for the first time advocated human operation and domination over the world, which itself gave birth to modern natural science. Yates' research changed the understanding of the Renaissance in western philosophical and scientific history circles, and her theory of Hermeticism, known as the ＂Yates Thesis,＂ had a far-reaching influence. Yet Yates' thesis has also been criticized by various scholars, especially by philosophical historians represented by Copenhaver and Farmer, who strongly opposed her idea of magic. In their view, Renaissance magic was essentially contemplation rather than operation, and therefore does not possess the characteristics of modern natural science. This paper takes Pico Mirandola's theory of magic as its starting point, and attempts to combine his cosmology and theory of human nature. It shows that although Renaissance magic had the tendency and intention of contemplation, its intrinsic characteristics and manifestations were still operative. Farmer and Copenhaver put too much emphasis on the theological background and purpose of magic and neglected the operation of magic in the theological landscape, a move that can be seen to be theoretically unsustainable.

並列關鍵字

Yates thesis ； Pico della Mirandola ； Renaissance Magic ； Operation ； Contemplation