-45%

Divination and Human Nature: A Cognitive History of Intuition in Classical Antiquity — Tarot Divination

Divination and Human Nature: A Cognitive History of Intuition in Classical Antiquity — photo 1

Divination and Human Nature: A Cognitive History of Intuition in Classical Antiquity — photo 2

Divination and Human Nature: A Cognitive History of Intuition in Classical Antiquity — photo 3

📖 Have you read this book?

Your review can inspire others to read it

🃏 Tarot & Divination −45%

Divination and Human Nature: A Cognitive History of Intuition in Classical Antiquity

Name: Divination and Human Nature: A Cognitive History of Intuition in Classical Antiquity
Price: 58.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780691169392

✍️ Struck, Peter

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$58.00 ~~$106.00~~ Save $48.00 (45%)

In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days

📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Peter Struck's work recontextualizes ancient divination, moving beyond simplistic notions of divine messages or primitive superstition. He delves into how classical philosophers, including Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, and Neoplatonists, grappled with uncanny insights and premonitions. Far from dismissing these as supernatural events, these thinkers saw them as intrinsic aspects of human cognition and physiology. Struck argues their detailed inquiries represent an early, sophisticated exploration into the nature of intuition, proposing a compelling cognitive history that links ancient philosophical thought to contemporary understandings of human insight. This book illuminates a profound, often overlooked, intellectual tradition.

🃏

Tarot & Divination

🏛 Princeton University Press 📅 2016 📖 300 pages 📔 Hardcover ISBN: 9780691169392

Fun Fact

Struck masterfully re-frames ancient divination as a fascinating chapter in cognitive history, meticulously detailing how philosophers approached intuition. It excels at scholarly depth, offering fresh insights for historians of philosophy and religion. Those seeking a practical guide to divination or a simple affirmation of supernatural beliefs might be disappointed, as its focus is purely academic and analytical. This work firmly establishes itself as a pivotal text in the intellectual history of human consciousness.

📝 Description: Divination and Human Nature: A Cognitive History of Intuition in Classical Antiquity

Divination and Human Nature casts a new perspective on the rich tradition of ancient divination--the reading of divine signs in oracles, omens, and dreams. Popular attitudes during classical antiquity saw these readings as signs from the gods while modern scholars have treated such beliefs as primitive superstitions. In this book, Peter Struck reveals instead that such phenomena provoked an entirely different accounting from the ancient philosophers. These philosophers produced subtle studies into what was an odd but observable fact--that humans could sometimes have uncanny insights--and their work signifies an early chapter in the cognitive history of intuition. Examining the writings of Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, and the Neoplatonists, Struck demonstrates that they all observed how, setting aside the charlatans and swindlers, some people had premonitions defying the typical bounds of rationality. Given the wide differences among these ancient thinkers, Struck notes that they converged on seeing this surplus insight as an artifact of human nature, projections produced under specific conditions by our physiology. For the philosophers, such unexplained insights invited a speculative search for an alternative and more naturalistic system of cognition. Recovering a lost piece of an ancient tradition, Divination and Human Nature illustrates how philosophers of the classical era interpreted the phenomena of divination as a practice closer to intuition and instinct than magic.

📑 What's inside

Acknowledgments ix
Introduction. Divination and the History of Surplus Knowledge 1
Chapter 1. Plato on Divination and Nondiscursive Knowing 37
Chapter 2. Aristotle on Foresight through Dreams 91
Chapter 3. Posidonius and Other Stoics on Extra- Sensory Knowledge 171
Chapter 4. Iamblichus on Divine Divination and Human Intuition 215
Conclusion. Reconsidering Penelope 251
Bibliography 263
Index Locorum 277
Subject Index 287

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Struck presents a compelling argument that ancient divination was a serious cognitive inquiry rather than primitive belief. However, this academic rigor means it is not suitable for casual readers seeking practical divination guides or simple historical anecdotes. Those expecting a narrative about mystical experiences or supernatural phenomena will likely find the focus on philosophical mechanics dry and dense. The book demands patience from anyone unfamiliar with classical metaphysical debates. It is strictly for scholars and serious enthusiasts of intellectual history who appreciate detailed analysis over accessible storytelling.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers fascinated by the intellectual lineage of intuition will find this book profoundly illuminating. It offers a sophisticated alternative to viewing ancient divination as mere superstition, revealing instead a rigorous cognitive history. If you are interested in how classical philosophers like Plato and the Stoics analyzed premonitions as intrinsic aspects of human physiology, this text provides essential context. It is ideal for those seeking to understand the philosophical roots of uncanny insights and their connection to contemporary cognitive thought. This work rewards careful study with a deep appreciation for an overlooked tradition that links ancient wisdom to modern understanding.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

If you're fascinated by the intersection of ancient philosophy, psychology, and esoteric traditions, this book is for you. Explore how classical thinkers approached intuition, challenging conventional views of divination. Anyone seeking to understand the historical depth of human cognitive studies…

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Struck presents a compelling argument that ancient divination was a serious cognitive inquiry rather than primitive belief. However, this academic rigor means it is not suitable for casual readers seeking practical divination guides or simple historical anecdotes. Those expecting a narrative about mystical experiences or supernatural phenomena will likely find the focus on philosophical mechanics dry and dense. The book demands patience from anyone unfamiliar with classical metaphysical debates. It is strictly for scholars and serious enthusiasts of intellectual history who appreciate detailed analysis over accessible storytelling.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No, the author meticulously analyzes the philosophical frameworks ancient thinkers used to understand divinatory phenomena, rather than promoting the practice itself. It's an academic inquiry into historical cognitive theories.

While academic, Struck's engaging analysis makes complex philosophical arguments understandable. Readers with an interest in the history of thought and intuition will find it rewarding, though some familiarity with ancient philosophy enhances the experience.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Ancient Intuition's Roots

Struck uncovers how classical philosophers like Plato and Aristotle didn't merely accept divination as divine decree, but meticulously investigated extraordinary insights. They explored premonitions and omens as phenomena rooted in human nature, proposing early theories on the physiological and psychological underpinnings of what we now call intuition, offering a surprisingly modern perspective.

Philosophical Inquiry into Divination

The book highlights how diverse ancient schools—from Stoics to Neoplatonists—converged on seeing divination not just as religious practice, but as an observable, albeit puzzling, human capacity. Struck reveals their sophisticated attempts to understand how individuals could possess insights seemingly beyond normal rationality, positioning their studies as foundational to cognitive history.

Reclaiming Ancient Wisdom

Struck challenges modern dismissals of ancient divinatory beliefs as primitive. Instead, he presents the ancient philosophical discourse as a sophisticated, early attempt to understand anomalous human perception. This work elevates their observations to a significant precursor in the study of human cognition, encouraging a re-evaluation of classical contributions to understanding the mind.

📜 Historical context

This book re-positions classical antiquity's engagement with divination, moving it from the realm of mere superstition into a sophisticated intellectual tradition. It fills a crucial gap by demonstrating how ancient philosophers laid foundational groundwork for what would become cognitive science, long before modern psychology formalized the study of intuition. It's a vital contribution to both ancient studies and the history of ideas.

📚 Glossary

Divination
Intuition
Neoplatonists

📔 Questions to reflect on

How might understanding ancient philosophical views on intuition reshape our contemporary perspectives on subconscious knowledge or psychic phenomena?
If ancient philosophers considered certain insights to be physiological projections, how does this compare to modern neuroscientific understandings of the mind?
Reflect on a personal experience of 'uncanny insight.' How does Struck's framework help you contextualize or re-evaluate that experience?