Kieth Thomas’s article, “Conjuring and the Magic Tradition,” argues that the definitions of science and philosophy people know and love today were developed by the belief in magic, and although the belief in “magic” is no longer a popular opinion held by society, it did serve its purpose in opening minds to the idea of space and natural science. During the late medieval and early Renaissance eras, there was one school of thought that brought the idea of magic to the forefront of people’s minds, which was Neoplatonism - a school of pagan philosophy that deduced human happiness and perfection can be found on earth. It also dictated that if one only used their imagination, then one could influence others through the use of charms, incantations, etc. This led to the belief that there were three types of magical activity. The first type of magical activity was natural magic, which used the occult properties of the natural/elemental world to enhance the effectiveness of the magic. The second type was celestial magic, which dealt with how the stars influenced the world. The third type was ceremonial magic, which involved conjuring up spirits - often to do one’s bidding. A combination of Neoplatonism and exploration of the three types of magic led to the final piece of the puzzle for the belief in magic that led to science as people know it today - Italian writer Ficino’s translation of Corpus Hermectium. This book taught that mystical regeneration would allow humans to regain control over nature they lost in the Fall. This then led to the “fall of magic” when it found that Corpus Hermectium was not pre-Christian as was assumed, however, some of the ideas it presented did jump-start Newton’s (and many others’) scientific journey - after it had been totally disregarded by most serious scientists. In short, the idea that magic existed led to the exploration of today’s science.
