Emerson's Sublime Science (Romanticism in Perspective) [Hardcover]

Eric Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Romanticism in Perspective | Publication Date: January 1999

In 1831, Michael Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction, substantiating scientifically a primary intuition of thinkers ranging from Hermetic alchemists to Renaissance Neoplatonists to Romantic visionaries: matter is energy, a field of invisible force. The young Emerson, an adept in Boehme, Bruno, and Coleridge, immediately understood the implications of Faraday's revelation, writing in 1833 that this scientist had likely discovered the secret of life. Accordingly, Emerson's Sublime Science is the first book to explore the electromagnetic currents in Emerson's thought and art. The study focuses on the ways that Emerson channeled the galvanizing conclusions of Faraday into his senses of the cosmos, the sublime, and language. Illuminating the electromagnetic Emerson, Wilson also forges exciting connections between alchemy and chemistry, organicism and electricity, and poetry and science.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Wilson's book is interesting in the way it combines a close reading of Emerson's Nature (1836) with a wide range of philosophical ideas and a survey of scientific developments from Renaissance hermeticism via electromagnetism to quantum theory.' - Ginette Verstraete, Ambix 49 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

ERIC WILSON is Assistant Professor of English at St. John's University in New York City. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 204 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312217757
• ISBN-13: 978-0312217754
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,484,621 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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