Spheres and Bubbles: Emanuel Swedenborg’s Theory of Matter and the Metaphors of the Mind
Author
Editor
- Karl Grandin
Summary, in English
What is matter? One of the major themes in Emanuel Swedenborg’s thinking is the
relation between the material and the immaterial, body and soul. During all his life, as
a scientist and a visionary, Swedenborg (1688–1772) pondered on these questions. How
can we get knowledge about the invisible? The world beyond the scope of our senses?
The issue here is to explain the cognitive foundation of his matter theory expressed in
his early scientific works, written before he became a visionary and mystic. Namely, I
do not want to know just what he thought, but also how. In focus is the relation between
environment and cognition that gives rise to theories of nature: how we think about
that we can not see; how we understand the invisible through the visible. From the
known we understand the unknown.
relation between the material and the immaterial, body and soul. During all his life, as
a scientist and a visionary, Swedenborg (1688–1772) pondered on these questions. How
can we get knowledge about the invisible? The world beyond the scope of our senses?
The issue here is to explain the cognitive foundation of his matter theory expressed in
his early scientific works, written before he became a visionary and mystic. Namely, I
do not want to know just what he thought, but also how. In focus is the relation between
environment and cognition that gives rise to theories of nature: how we think about
that we can not see; how we understand the invisible through the visible. From the
known we understand the unknown.
Publishing year
2013
Language
English
Pages
12-33
Publication/Series
Emanuel Swedenborg—Exploring a “World Memory”. Context, Content, Contribution
Document type
Book chapter
Publisher
The Center for History of Science, Stockholm
Topic
- History of Ideas
- Languages and Literature
Status
Published
Project
- Centre for Cognitive Semiotics (RJ)
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISBN: 978-0-87785-351-0