Author: Paolo Rossi Publisher: University of Chicago Press ISBN: 0226728269 Category : Philosophy Languages : en Pages : 361
Book Description
The mnemonic arts and the idea of a universal language that would capture the essence of all things were originally associated with cryptology, mysticism, and other occult practices. And it is commonly held that these enigmatic efforts were abandoned with the development of formal logic in the seventeenth century and the beginning of the modern era. In his distinguished book, Logic and the Art of Memory Italian philosopher and historian Paolo Rossi argues that this view is belied by an examination of the history of the idea of a universal language. Based on comprehensive analyses of original texts, Rossi traces the development of this idea from late medieval thinkers such as Ramon Lull through Bruno, Bacon, Descartes, and finally Leibniz in the seventeenth century. The search for a symbolic mode of communication that would be intelligible to everyone was not a mere vestige of magical thinking and occult sciences, but a fundamental component of Renaissance and Enlightenment thought. Seen from this perspective, modern science and combinatorial logic represent not a break from the past but rather its full maturity. Available for the first time in English, this book (originally titled Clavis Universalis) remains one of the most important contributions to the history of ideas ever written. In addition to his eagerly anticipated translation, Steven Clucas offers a substantial introduction that places this book in the context of other recent works on this fascinating subject. A rich history and valuable sourcebook, Logic and the Art of Memory documents an essential chapter in the development of human reason.
Author: Eugenia Cheng Publisher: Basic Books ISBN: 154167250X Category : Mathematics Languages : en Pages : 321
Book Description
How both logical and emotional reasoning can help us live better in our post-truth world In a world where fake news stories change election outcomes, has rationality become futile? In The Art of Logic in an Illogical World, Eugenia Cheng throws a lifeline to readers drowning in the illogic of contemporary life. Cheng is a mathematician, so she knows how to make an airtight argument. But even for her, logic sometimes falls prey to emotion, which is why she still fears flying and eats more cookies than she should. If a mathematician can't be logical, what are we to do? In this book, Cheng reveals the inner workings and limitations of logic, and explains why alogic -- for example, emotion -- is vital to how we think and communicate. Cheng shows us how to use logic and alogic together to navigate a world awash in bigotry, mansplaining, and manipulative memes. Insightful, useful, and funny, this essential book is for anyone who wants to think more clearly.
Author: Frances A Yates Publisher: Random House ISBN: 1448104130 Category : Psychology Languages : en Pages : 474
Book Description
This unique and brilliant book is a history of human knowledge. Before the invention of printing, a trained memory was of vital importance. Based on a technique of impressing 'places' and 'images' on the mind, the ancient Greeks created an elaborate memory system which in turn was inherited by the Romans and passed into the European tradition, to be revived, in occult form, during the Renaissance. Frances Yates sheds light on Dante’s Divine Comedy, the form of the Shakespearian theatre and the history of ancient architecture; The Art of Memory is an invaluable contribution to aesthetics and psychology, and to the history of philosophy, of science and of literature.
Author: Harry Lorayne Publisher: Ballantine Books ISBN: 0307814068 Category : Self-Help Languages : en Pages : 239
Book Description
Unleash the hidden power of your mind It’s there in all of us. A mental resource we don’t think much about. Memory. And now there’s a way to master its power. . . . Through Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas’s simple, fail-safe memory system, you can become more effective, more imaginative, and more powerful at work, at school, in sports, and at play. • Read with speed and greater understanding. • File phone numbers, data, figures, and appointments right in your head. • Send those birthday and anniversary cards on time. • Learn foreign words and phrases with ease. • Shine in the classroom and shorten study hours. • Dominate social situations: Remember and use important personal details. Begin today. The change in your life will be unforgettable
Author: Paolo Rossi Publisher: Continuum ISBN: 9780826488619 Category : Art Languages : en Pages : 362
Book Description
A brilliant translation of this classic account of the art of memory and the logic of linkage and combination, the two traditions deriving from the Classical world and the late medieval period, and becoming intertwined in the 16th Century. From this intertwining emerged a new tradition, a grandiose project for an 'alphabet of the world' or 'Clavis Universalis'. Translated with an Introduction by Stephen Clucas.
Author: Lina Bolzoni Publisher: University of Toronto Press ISBN: 9780802043306 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 388
Book Description
This book takes as its starting point a striking paradox: that the antique tradition of the art of memory -- created by an oral culture -- reached its moment of greatest diffusion during an age that saw the birth of the printed book.
Author: Joshua Foer Publisher: Penguin ISBN: 1101475978 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 320
Book Description
“Highly entertaining.” —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker “Funny, curious, erudite, and full of useful details about ancient techniques of training memory.” —The Boston Globe The blockbuster phenomenon that charts an amazing journey of the mind while revolutionizing our concept of memory An instant bestseller that is poised to become a classic, Moonwalking with Einstein recounts Joshua Foer's yearlong quest to improve his memory under the tutelage of top "mental athletes." He draws on cutting-edge research, a surprising cultural history of remembering, and venerable tricks of the mentalist's trade to transform our understanding of human memory. From the United States Memory Championship to deep within the author's own mind, this is an electrifying work of journalism that reminds us that, in every way that matters, we are the sum of our memories.
Author: Mary Jean Carruthers Publisher: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 9780521795418 Category : Language Arts & Disciplines Languages : en Pages : 458
Book Description
An examination of monastic meditation, first published in 1998.
Author: Janet Coleman Publisher: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 0521411440 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 670
Book Description
This book is an analysis of thinking, remembering and reminiscing according to ancient authors, and their medieval readers. The author argues that behind the various medieval methods in interpreting texts of the past lie two apparently incompatible theories of human knowledge and remembering, as well as two differing attitudes to matter and intellect. The book comprises a series of studies which take ancient texts as evidence of the past, and show how medieval readers and writers understood them. The studies confirm that medieval and renaissance interpretations and uses of the past differ greatly from modern interpretation and yet betray many startling continuities between modern and ancient and medieval theories.
Author: Paolo Rossi
Author: Eugenia Cheng
Author: Frances A Yates
Author: Harry Lorayne
Author: F A Yates
Author: Paolo Rossi
Author: Lina Bolzoni
Author: Joshua Foer
Author: Mary Jean Carruthers
Author: Janet Coleman