Paracelsus [Paperback]

Paracelsus (Author), Jolande Jacobi (Editor), Norbert Guterman (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 1995 | Series: Bollingen Series (Book 28)

The enigmatic sixteenth-century Swiss physician and natural philosopher Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, called Paracelsus, is known for the almost superhuman energy with which he produced his innumerable writings, for his remarkable achievements in the development of science, and for his reputation as a visionary (not to mention sorcerer) and alchemist. Little is known of his biography beyond his legendary achievements, and the details of his life have been filled in over the centuries by his admirers. This richly illustrated anthology presents in modernized language a selection of the moral thought of a man who was not only a self-willed genius charged with the dynamism of an impetuous and turbulent age but also in many ways a humble seeker after truth, who deeply influenced C. G. Jung and his followers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The importance of Paracelsus lies in the link which he provides between medieval and scientific thought. Believing in and practicing alchemy, magic, astrology and various divinatory techniques, he was also 'the first modern scientist,' and the 'precursor of microchemistry, antisepsis, modern wound surgery, homeopathy and a number of ultra-modern achievements.' In this readable anthology a full picture of the man and his thought is presented. . . in the form of a cleverly constructed mosaic of direct quotations from the fifteen volumes of his collected works. -- The Times Literary Supplement

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German, Latin

Product Details

• Paperback: 362 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (September 18, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691018766
• ISBN-13: 978-0691018768
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #286,111 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Paracelsian Primer, November 27, 2001

By 

BlueJay54 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paracelsus (Paperback)

Overall, this is a decent effort. The long introductory essay puts Paracelsus' life and works in perspective. And the many wood-block reprints from the general period are interesting--if a bit distracting, since they are interpolations not drawn by Paracelsus himself and not appearing in the original works. But certainly, after hearing so much about Paracelsus from various readings in alchemy (including Jung, who wrote the Preface here), I quite enjoyed reading Paracelsus himself. The downside is that this primer is composed of short paragraphs plucked from all of Paracelsus' published works, shorn of context, then thrust into juxtaposition with whatever else the editor thought fit into the same category. So the readings are jumpy, paragraph by paragraph leaping amongst all 13 or so of Paracelsus' collected works. Many of the most interesting subjects are not covered at all or only thinly, including Paracelsus views on astrology, alchemy, magic and medicine. And much of it is given over to his (largely Christian) theological speculations--even tho' no one reads Paracelsus for his theology. All in all, this primer will whet your appetite for something more substantial. Personally, I can't wait to get a copy of "Archicoxes of Magic" or the A.E. Waite collection. But this book will point you in the right direction.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Little Universe, May 5, 2003

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rareoopdvds (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Paracelsus (Paperback)

The main thread of Paracelsus' theology is that man is the "Little Universe" while the Universe is the "Great Being." To Paracelsus, however, this is not just a passing thought or a nice philosophy, but one to be explored, understood, and lived every day.

This selction of works gives a basic overview of Paracelsus' writing and thought in a comprehensive, yet, fairly easy to digest compendium. Edited by Jolande Jocobi for the Princeton "Mythos Series" does a wonderful job splicing together many of Paracelsus' works together in a rather cohesive and streamlined format. The subjects range from the creation of the universe to the practice of the physician to alchemy and art in general. If one is looking for a specific aspect of Paracelsus, this may not be the book to get, however, if one just wants to read or get a trace of his writings, then there is no better book to buy.

The writing is somewhat archaic, however, if one takes the time to understand what is written in the first couple of pages, then one can appreciate the point of view Paracelsus is coming from. In another way of saying this, according to Paracelsus, God and Man are intricately united and there is nothing on this Earth or the Universe that can separate the two. From this understanding Paracelsus stems all his other experiences and revelations.

The introduction by Jacobi is a fairly extensive biography of Phillipus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hoenheim called Paracelsus (which means "beyond celsus"). Throughout the book are many engravings from various artists from his books or other various books that pertain to the topic at hand. As stated, the book offers a wide variety of subjects for the reader to chew from which may make this book limited in range as it is a book of "Selected Writings", however, I believe if one is beginning to look into the works of Paracelsus, this might be the best place to start.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Paracelcus is one of the supreme medical teachers of recent, February 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Paracelsus (Paperback)

history. His volumnous works were a major feat of the 16th century. Both political and spiritual in nature, these voumes covered every topic literaly under the sun, and above it! All from the perspective of the curing physician, his works give a total cosmological overview of the universe all with the purpose of making the doctors craft that much more fruitful, while continually deriding the pompous, indulgent ,ineffective doctors, and berating the drug-dealing, devious, greedy apothacaries and pharmecutical companys of the time. Paracelcus teaches that the art of Astronomy is comprehensive, in that is inclusive of every art in the universe, from the stars to geology, biology, horticulture, meteorology, astrology, and even psycology, all of these under the rubric of Astronomer. Linked to the tradition of Western spiritual alchemists, Paracelsus defines the mastery and depth of the subtle, holistic western mystics, able through great effort to practice in an ignorant and conservative society.