Agenda

30 May 2025 10:30

Magic as Knowledge in Early Modern Europe

Online

This Roundtable Discussion aims to explore the multifaceted role of Magic as a form of Knowledge in Early Modern Europe, challenging the conventional perception of magic merely as superstition. Participants will examine how magical practices, beliefs, and texts were integral to the intellectual landscape of the period, influencing fields such as natural philosophy, medicine, and the arts. We will investigate the ways in which magic served as a legitimate epistemological framework, offering insights into the natural world and human experience. Furthermore, the discussion will address the societal implications of this knowledge, including its intersection with religion, gender, and power dynamics. Ultimately, this roundtable seeks to reframe our understanding of magic in the Early Modern period, recognizing it as a complex and evolving form of knowledge that contributed significantly to the development of modern thought.

Invited Speakers
Gal Sofer
Ben Gurion University of the Negev (Israel)
Solomonic Magic in Early Modern Europe

Thibaut Rioult
Free University of Brussels (Belgium)
Illusionism as Critical Knowledge in Early Modern Magic

Adrien Mangili
University of Geneva (Switzerland)
Natural Magic and Free Thought

Manuel De Carli
University of Tours (France)
Magical Melodies and Images of Tarantism: A Natural History

Michael Pickering
Trinity College – University of Melbourne (Australia)
Natural Magic as a Technology of the Self

Organizer and Coordinator:
Donato Verardi
Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy)

To register: Please contact donato.verardi@unive.it

This Event is part of the project SECRETS (Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions). Funded by the European Union (GA number: 101148607).

Language

The event will be held in English

Organized by

Dipartimento di Filosofia e Beni Culturali, Marie Curie Actions

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