Which only seems like a weird conflict from modern eyes, obviously. The ideas that, paraphrased, "the world is made of math" and "spirituality and science are one" are at the heart of western mathematical mysticism, from the 6th century BC Pythagoreans onward.
BTW, if you want your mind blown, check out Penelope Gouk's "Music, Science and Natural Magic in Seventeenth Century England". It deals with the magical ideas that were present at the formation of the Royal Society.
Note that we consider magic today to be "that which doesn't exist". Natural magic then was "that which works through unknown forces".
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I also like Michael White's "Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer", which stresses the weird conflict in his character between mysticism and science.
Which only seems like a weird conflict from modern eyes, obviously. The ideas that, paraphrased, "the world is made of math" and "spirituality and science are one" are at the heart of western mathematical mysticism, from the 6th century BC Pythagoreans onward.
BTW, if you want your mind blown, check out Penelope Gouk's "Music, Science and Natural Magic in Seventeenth Century England". It deals with the magical ideas that were present at the formation of the Royal Society.
Note that we consider magic today to be "that which doesn't exist". Natural magic then was "that which works through unknown forces".
Thanks, I’ll take a look!