|
Occultism >
History
|
|
By : Jean-Pierre Laurant - Friday, 08 April 2011 11:00 |
 At the half of the 19th century a former abbot became very popular in western occultists circles through a certain numbers of works. That man, born Alphonse Louis Constant, went down in history under the name Eliphas Lévi. Around the same time, especially in England, begins the early stages of a new "science" called epistemology. It refers to, the field of sciences philosophy, or the theory of knowledge.
To Jean-Pierre Laurant, it refers to "a second speech which includes the conditions of its own truth". In the case of Eliphas Lévi, such as the all the occult sciences, we find this same desire: to seek inside one's speech, one's own justification. From this point of view, the work of Eliphas Lévi, in spite of his imperfections and his character sometimes superficial, reflects perfectly his century and goes beyond it. It is at the junction of attitudes and thoughts which are fundamental to understand both the history of ideas of that time and the evolution of a certain number of approaches which are still topical.
 
Admirer of Joseph de Maistre (the lone count who dared to be opposed to the positivist spirit of his time), Eliphas Lévi tried to embody a man - which Maistre called - the one in which alliance between dogma and science, between faith and reason, between authority and freedom, could operate. "This one will be great! And he will make cease this 17th century, which still lasts" wrote de Maistre (Ed. we can wonder about the significance of that remark when we are in the 21st century!).
What are the key notions of Joseph de Maistre Eliphas Lévi used to refine the theoretical approach of his work ?
Did the important discoveries of the 20th century, as magnetism or mesmerism, influence Eliphas Lévi in the development of these major themes ?
Answers by Jean-Pierre Laurant in this 36-minutes presentation filmed at the Sorbonne during the last days Politica Hermetica.
Show Other videos Of Jean-Pierre Laurant
|
