The Natural Philosophy of Emanuel Swedenborg: A Study in the Conceptual Metaphors of the Mechanistic World-View

David Dunér

doi:10.1007/978-94-007-4560-5

The Natural Philosophy of Emanuel Swedenborg: A Study in the Conceptual Metaphors of the Mechanistic World-View

David Dunér

Division of History of Ideas and Sciences

Research output: Book/Report › Book › Research › peer-review

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Abstract

Although Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) is commonly known for his spiritual philosophy, his early career was focused unnatural science. During this period, Swedenborg thought of the world was like a gigantic machine, following the laws of mechanics and geometry. This volume analyzes this mechanistic worldview from the cognitive perspective, by means of a study of the metaphors in Swedenborg’s texts. The author argues that these conceptual metaphors are vital skills of the creative mind and scientific thinking, used to create visual analogies and abstract ideas. This means that Swedenborg’s mechanistic and geometrical worldview, allowed him to perceive the world as mechanical and geometrical. Swedenborg thought ”with” books and pens. The reading gave him associations and clues, forced him to interpret, and gave him material for his intellectual development.

Original language	English
Publisher	Springer
Number of pages	473
ISBN (Print)	978-94-007-4559-9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4560-5
Publication status	Published - 2012

Publication series

Name	The History of Philosophy of Mind

Subject classification (UKÄ)

History of Ideas

Access to Document

10.1007/978-94-007-4560-5

Dunér.Swedenborg.Introduction.KorrAccepted author manuscript, 358 KBLicence: Unspecified

CCS: Centre for Cognitive Semiotics (RJ)
Lenninger, S. (Researcher), Sonesson, G. (PI), Toyota, J. (Researcher), Brinck, I. (Researcher), Kopp, L. (Researcher), Holmer, A. (Researcher), Karlsson, A. (Researcher), Tayanin, D. (Researcher), Carling, G. (Researcher), Håkansson, G. (Researcher), Blomberg, J. (Researcher), Zlatev, J. (PI), Henningsson, L.-Å. (Researcher), Andrén, M. (Researcher), Sayehli, S. (Researcher), Strandviken, T. (Researcher), Parthemore, J. (Researcher), Persson, T. (Researcher), Cabak Rédei, A. (Researcher), Madsen, E. A. (Researcher), Hornborg, A. (Researcher), Andrén, M. (Researcher), Henningsson, L.-Å. (Researcher), Kopp, L. (Researcher), Tayanin, D. (Researcher) & Toyota, J. (Researcher)
2009/01/01 → 2014/12/31
Project: Research

Cite this

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The Natural Philosophy of Emanuel Swedenborg: A Study in the Conceptual Metaphors of the Mechanistic World-View

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CCS: Centre for Cognitive Semiotics (RJ)

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