Philosophical and scientific debates on geomancy in the Latin Middle Ages
Geomancy, a divinatory discipline imported from the Arab world, flourished in the Latin Middle Ages. In the attempt to explain the popularity of geomancy, translators and authors of geomantic writings, philosophers, theologians, and other scholars addressed such issues as its validity, its philosoph...
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2022 |
| País: | Brasil |
| Institución: | Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) |
| Repositorio: | Trans/Form/Ação (Online) |
| Idioma: | portugués italiano |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ojs.www2.marilia.unesp.br:article/9598 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://revistas.marilia.unesp.br/index.php/transformacao/article/view/9598 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Geomancy Astrology Ugo of Santalla William of Moerbeke Thomas Aquinas Geomanzia astrologia Ugo di Santalla Gugliemo di Moerbeke Tommaso d’Aquino |
| Sumario: | Geomancy, a divinatory discipline imported from the Arab world, flourished in the Latin Middle Ages. In the attempt to explain the popularity of geomancy, translators and authors of geomantic writings, philosophers, theologians, and other scholars addressed such issues as its validity, its philosophical implications, and the worldview it presupposed. This paper explores this debate, delineating the epistemological status of geomancy in relation to astrology. The problem of the scientificity of geomacy will be discussed with regard to the celestial influences on the sublunary world. In addition, the different roles played by both the geomancer and the consultant (quaerens) are examined. Attention will be paid to the concept of intentio, which implies a psychological analysis peculiar to geomancy. Geomancy is also characterized by ritual elements such as both preliminary prescriptions and invocations of God, meaning that it is not an ordinary divinatory technique, but a form of wisdom revealed only to experienced and upright geomancers, who can thus obtain knowledge of future events and hidden things. From this analysis emerges the complex nature of geomancy, whose original Arabic version had a prominent religious character and a close, albeit ambiguous, link with Islamic prophecy. Recebido: 30/12/2019Aceito: 30/12/2019 |
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