Logic and the Art of Memory: The Quest for a Universal LanguageThe mnemonic arts and the idea of a universal language that would capture the essence of all things were originally associated with cryptology, mysticism, and other occult practices. And it is commonly held that these enigmatic efforts were abandoned with the development of formal logic in the seventeenth century and the beginning of the modern era. In his distinguished book, Logic and the Art of Memory Italian philosopher and historian Paolo Rossi argues that this view is belied by an examination of the history of the idea of a universal language. Based on comprehensive analyses of original texts, Rossi traces the development of this idea from late medieval thinkers such as Ramon Lull through Bruno, Bacon, Descartes, and finally Leibniz in the seventeenth century. The search for a symbolic mode of communication that would be intelligible to everyone was not a mere vestige of magical thinking and occult sciences, but a fundamental component of Renaissance and Enlightenment thought. Seen from this perspective, modern science and combinatorial logic represent not a break from the past but rather its full maturity. Available for the first time in English, this book (originally titled Clavis Universalis) remains one of the most important contributions to the history of ideas ever written. In addition to his eagerly anticipated translation, Steven Clucas offers a substantial introduction that places this book in the context of other recent works on this fascinating subject. A rich history and valuable sourcebook, Logic and the Art of Memory documents an essential chapter in the development of human reason. |
Other editions - View all
The Logic and the Art of Memory: The Quest for a Universal Language Paolo Rossi No preview available - 2006 |
Logic and the Art of Memory: The Quest for a Universal Language Paolo Rossi No preview available - 2000 |
Common terms and phrases
Agrippa alphabet Alsted Aristotelian art of memory artificial memory artificiosa memoria artis autem Bacon Bibliotheca Marciana cabala Carreras y Artau Cicero Ciceronian combinatoria Comenius concepts construction Descartes Descartes's dialectic discourse dispositio doctrine edition encyclopaedia enim Essay etiam Frances Yates Francis Bacon Giordano Bruno Herennium idea igitur images imagines intellectual invention Johann Johann Heinrich Alsted John Wilkins knowledge Lavinheta Leibniz loci loco locorum logic London Lull's Lullian Lullism luoghi magic means memorativa memory-places method mnemonic mnemotechnical modo natural Oeuvres pansophia Paolo Rossi Paris Petrus Ramus philosophy Pietro da Ravenna primo published quae quam quia Quintilian quod quoniam Ramon Lull Ramus Ravenna real characters references reminiscentia Renaissance rerum rhetoric Rhetorica Rhetorica ad Herennium sciences scientiae scientiarum seventeenth century significance sive sixteenth century sunt symbols techniques texts themes things tion tradition treatise universal language universalis Venice vero Wilkins words writing Yates