Lynn Thorndike’s monumental A History of Magic and Experimental Science traces the entwined development of magic, superstition, and natural science. This first volume covers the first thirteen centuries of the Christian era, examining how ancient learning, occult traditions, and early experimental inquiry passed into the medieval world. Thorndike explores astrology, alchemy, medicine, and natural philosophy, showing how the boundaries between magic and science were far less clear than later ages assumed.
Drawing on a vast range of manuscripts, Thorndike overturns simple narratives of medieval ignorance, revealing a rich intellectual world in which scholars pursued the secrets of nature through many means. The work is a landmark of the history of science and medieval thought. Readers interested in alchemy, astrology, or the roots of experimental science will find it deeply rewarding. This free EPUB edition makes the first volume of Thorndike’s classic study available to students of medieval intellectual history.