Podcast episodes – The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast (SHWEP) So What is Western Esotericism, Anyway?
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Sep 5, 2017 AI Snips
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Yates's Paradigm Shift
- Yates's "Hermetic tradition" narrative of Renaissance thought greatly impacted the history of ideas.
- However, this narrative oversimplifies a diverse group of thinkers and their influences.
Diverse Thinkers
- The thinkers Yates categorized as "Hermeticists" were diverse, with varying intellectual backgrounds.
- Some were Renaissance Platonists, others medieval natural philosophers, and still others Reformation-era esotericists.
Western Esotericism
- Despite its flaws, Yates's work highlighted influential fringe movements in European intellectual history.
- These movements are now studied under the umbrella term "Western esotericism."