Academics Navigation

Academics

You are here

Courses

CampusBryn Mawr
SemesterSpring 2025
Registration IDITALB326001
Course TitleLove, Magic, and Medicine
Credit1.00
DepartmentClassical Studies
InstructorGhezzani,Tommaso
Times and DaysW 01:10pm-04:00pm
Room Location
Additional Course InfoClass Number: 2000 The course investigates how the concepts of love, magic, and medicine emerged and developed throughout early modernity and beyond. In exploring the fields of Philosophy, Medicine, and Magic, global thinkers, poets, and artists drew not only from classical sources, but were also deeply influenced by a wide range of models, such as fictional ancient sources, Islamic philosophy, and the Jewish Kabbalah. In this interesting syncretism, love was considered as an inspiration experienced by the entire universe, and magical practice was understood as a philosophy in action, which had the power to establish a bond of a loving nature between the different realms of reality. Magicians were therefore conceived as wise philosophers capable of joining this network of correspondences and controlling them (art)ificially. As a result, the figures of poets and artists interestingly merged into those of magicians of physicians, and poetry was conceived both as a magic able to arouse mental images stronger than real visions, and as a medicine able to exert a mental and physiological agency on the body. The course will approach these themes through a multi-disciplinary and trans-historical approach, which will include in the discussion a wide variety of figures, such as global early modern and modern philosophers, physicians, poets, artists, and composers.All readings and class discussion will be in English. Students will have an additional hour of class for Italian credit. Approach: Course does not meet an Approach; Enrollment Cap: 15. If enrollment exceeds the cap, the lottery criteria is as follows: ITAL Majors by class (seniors, then juniors, then sophomores).
Miscellaneous Links
New Search