8:00-8:50 TR BH 109
Since the dawn of civilization in Egypt and Mesopotamia, the
operations of the cosmos have been  explained in terms of a host of
occult powers and forces. Many, if not most, occult practices and
theories originated in the ancient world æ Egypt, Mesopotamia,
Greece, and Rome æ and frequently received definitive form in the
Middle Ages and Renaissance, in the centuries immediately preceding
the Scientific Revolution of the seventeenth century. Many "modern"
theories and concepts of the occult are thus a direct legacy from
earlier cultures and civilizations. To understand these occult
developments properly, it is  essential to provide them with an
historical context, especially for such traditional themes as magic,
astrology, and witchcraft. After an initial discussion of
superstition and deception, we shall go back to ancient Egypt and
describe the true beginnings of magical and occult beliefs
(mummification and burial practices will form the focal point of
these lectures). Influenced by the occult beliefs of ancient Egypt
and Mesopotamia, the Greeks and Romans adapted many of those beliefs
to their own world view, which differed radically from that of the
ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians. Since the cosmic order adopted
by the Greeks and Romans was transmitted to Western Europe, where it
flourished during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, it will be
necessary to describe that order and the assumptions on which it
depended.

With the triumph of science in the late seventeenth century, during
the period usually called The Scientific Revolution, the occult
tradition began a new historical phase. As scientists applied their
formidable methodology to explain the operations of the physical
world, operations that had often been interpreted as occult
phenomena, science acquired great prestige. In order to capitalize on
that prestige, occultists sought to adjust to the new situation and
began to use science and its terminological jargon in support of
occult beliefs. This modern phase of the history of the occult is
manifested in such relatively recent developments as Spiritualism,
ESP, and UFO's, all of which will be considered as separate topics in
X207.

For each topic considered in this course, concern for the nature of
evidence for and against the validity of alleged occult phenomena
will play a significant role. Evidence for any belief depends on a
set of assumptions about the physical, and often the spiritual,
world. These assumptions, in turn, color, or even determine, the
empirical data, or facts, that are deemed to count for or against
that belief. Because different historical periods have produced
different assumptions about the world and its operations, historical
context is obviously of profound importance. What seemed self-
evidently true or reasonable in one historical period may be
rejected, doubted, or ignored in another. All this bears directly on
the history of occult beliefs and must be taken into account if we
are to gain any insight and understanding of the role which occult
themes have played in shaping and influencing western thought.

Topics:  The following topics will be treated: (1) Superstition and
Deception; (2) Ancient Egyptian Magic; (3) The Cosmos and Its
Operations from Greek Antiquity to the Seventeenth Century; (4)
Magic in the Middle Ages and Renaissance; (5) Witchcraft; (6)
Possession and Exorcism; (7) Astrology; (8) Spiritualism; (9) ESP;
(10) UFO's.

Course Requirements: Three objective exams will be given, the first
in the fifth week, the second in the tenth week, and the third in the
fifteenth week at the time of the final exam. No papers or reports
will be assigned, although you may be asked to write a brief report
or two in your discussion section. The final grade will be based on
the three test scores and your performance in discussion section.