
Trace a second major approach to studying magic through Hellenistic religiosity and Western philosophy, the love of wisdom, and core questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language.
Survey pre-socratic thought of the ionian school, identifying first principles like water and the apeiron, and highlight pythagoras' numerology and harmony of the spheres.
Delve into the classical period of Greece, examining Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle; explore democracy in Athens, the theory of forms, allegory of the cave, and the four causes plus ether.
Explore neo-platonism, a mystical blend of platonism and gnostic ideas. Trace the tripartite view, the one, the intelligence, and the soul, and its influence on later religious and philosophical thought.
In Part 2 of the Foundations in the Study of Magic series you will discover the philosophical foundations and traditions responsible for the development of magical traditions int eh middle ages through tot he modern period but western civilization in general. Starting with the Presocratics, learn about the development of Greek philosophy and the formation of the basis for science for centuries. Discover how the classical Philosophers (Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle) laid the foundation for political philosophy and western inquiry for centuries. Lastly start the journey to uncover the mysteries of Hermeticism and Neoplatonism and how it influenced magical practices.