Esotericism in reverse

Descartes and the poetic imagination in the seventeenth century

Authors

• Tomas Mansikka

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30664/ar.66731

Keywords:

René Descartes, Rosicrucians, Imagination, Enthusiasm, Mnemotechnics

Abstract

Western esotericism appears to be a field most precarious in terms of positioning. This article will highlight the divide between ‘critics’ and ‘religionists’ from a pre-Enlightenment position by discussing René Descartes’ role within esotericism. The study attempts to show that a pro-Enlightenment predilection tends to blur its object of research as to the kinds of knowledges that are under scrutiny. The conclusions drawn from the case of Descartes suggests that the perception of what the ‘esoteric’ in modern studies is generally agreed upon being, is reversed.