Scott Gosnell

Published only posthumously, Giordano Bruno's essays collected here present a window into late 16th century thinking about natural philosophy as an emerging discipline that would eventually give rise to the Scientific Revolution. Bruno is currently most well known for his cosmological theories, theological heresies, and philosophical controversies. In these six works, however, we see a complete magical curriculum, grounded in reason rather than speculation, and touching on topics ranging from natural wonders to theory of matter and mind. As with the memory works, one of Bruno's strongest interests is in the field that would later be called psychology. To be a magician is to have better understanding of the world and everything in it.

Ramon Lull or Llull created his Art during the 13th century as a method for debating and converting the Islamic kingdoms of North Africa and the Jewish population of Europe, following a vision experienced atop Mount Randa. The Art utilized what is now called combinatoric logic to produce arguments on any subject from simple, mechanical rules, without appeals to authority or existing literature. As such, it forms an important precursor to modern programing languages. In its own right, and through these commentaries by Giordano Bruno, it influenced Gottfried Leibniz and others seeking a universal, logical language; through them, it influenced Boole and later logicians. This is the first English translation of these works. This edition was first published on the 415th anniversary of Bruno's deat