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Spheres and Bubbles : Emanuel Swedenborg’s Theory of Matter and the Metaphors of the Mind

Dunér, David LU orcid (2013) In Bidrag till Kungl. Vetenskapsakademiens historia 43. p.12-33
Abstract
What is matter? One of the major themes in Emanuel Swedenborg’s thinking is the relation between the material and the immaterial, body and soul. During all his life, as a scientist and a visionary, Swedenborg (1688–1772) pondered on these questions. How can we get knowledge about the invisible? The world beyond the scope of our senses? The issue here is to explain the cognitive foundation of his matter theory expressed in his early scientific works, written before he became a visionary and mystic. Namely, I do not want to know just what he thought, but also how. In focus is the relation between environment and cognition that gives rise to theories of nature: how we think about that we can not see; how we understand the invisible through... (More)
What is matter? One of the major themes in Emanuel Swedenborg’s thinking is the relation between the material and the immaterial, body and soul. During all his life, as a scientist and a visionary, Swedenborg (1688–1772) pondered on these questions. How can we get knowledge about the invisible? The world beyond the scope of our senses? The issue here is to explain the cognitive foundation of his matter theory expressed in his early scientific works, written before he became a visionary and mystic. Namely, I do not want to know just what he thought, but also how. In focus is the relation between environment and cognition that gives rise to theories of nature: how we think about that we can not see; how we understand the invisible through the visible. From the known we understand the unknown. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Emanuel Swedenborg - Exploring a “World Memory” : Context, Content, Contribution - Context, Content, Contribution
series title
Bidrag till Kungl. Vetenskapsakademiens historia
editor
Grandin, Karl
volume
43
pages
22 pages
publisher
The Center for History of Science, Stockholm
ISSN
0081-9956
ISBN
978-0-87785-351-0
project
Centre for Cognitive Semiotics (RJ)
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
46967050-5195-481b-bd2a-6afc175021c3 (old id 4196152)
alternative location
https://www.scribd.com/doc/223783164/SPHERES-AND-BUBBLES-EMANUEL-SWEDENBORG-S-THEORY-OF-MATTER-AND-THE-METAPHORS-OF-THE-MIND
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:58:56
date last changed
2025-04-04 15:21:11
@inbook{46967050-5195-481b-bd2a-6afc175021c3,
  abstract     = {{What is matter? One of the major themes in Emanuel Swedenborg’s thinking is the relation between the material and the immaterial, body and soul. During all his life, as a scientist and a visionary, Swedenborg (1688–1772) pondered on these questions. How can we get knowledge about the invisible? The world beyond the scope of our senses? The issue here is to explain the cognitive foundation of his matter theory expressed in his early scientific works, written before he became a visionary and mystic. Namely, I do not want to know just what he thought, but also how. In focus is the relation between environment and cognition that gives rise to theories of nature: how we think about that we can not see; how we understand the invisible through the visible. From the known we understand the unknown.}},
  author       = {{Dunér, David}},
  booktitle    = {{Emanuel Swedenborg - Exploring a “World Memory” : Context, Content, Contribution}},
  editor       = {{Grandin, Karl}},
  isbn         = {{978-0-87785-351-0}},
  issn         = {{0081-9956}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{12--33}},
  publisher    = {{The Center for History of Science, Stockholm}},
  series       = {{Bidrag till Kungl. Vetenskapsakademiens historia}},
  title        = {{Spheres and Bubbles : Emanuel Swedenborg’s Theory of Matter and the Metaphors of the Mind}},
  url          = {{https://www.scribd.com/doc/223783164/SPHERES-AND-BUBBLES-EMANUEL-SWEDENBORG-S-THEORY-OF-MATTER-AND-THE-METAPHORS-OF-THE-MIND}},
  volume       = {{43}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}