Syllabus
RA = lecture by Ralph Abaham PL = lecture by Paul Lee PART I: BD, BEFORE DEE - ANCIENT, MIDDLE AGES AND RENAISSANCE 1Tu Apr 03: Introduction Handouts: paper specs, final exam, syllabus RA: Map of the Orphic tradition PL: Map of the Dee material Reading: French, Chs. 1, 2 1Th Apr 05: Ancient Roots, the Greek Miracle RA: Mathematics and Orphism PL: The wise men, Socrates, Plato Reading: French, Chs. 3, 4 2Tu Apr 10: Greek Mathematics PL: Plato, the Myth of Er RA: Euclid, the Alexandrian school Reading: French, Chs. 5, 6 2Th Apr 12: The Yates Thesis PL: The Platonic Academy of Florence RA: The Watershed: Copernicus, Kepler Reading: French, Chs. 7, 8; Reader, Pts. I-III PART II: DR. JOHN DEE (1527-1608) 3Tu Apr 17: Scholarship RA: the class database PL: study habits 3Th Apr 19: Dee's sources RA: the Clulee thesis: Roger Bacon PL: the Yates thesis: Pico First draft of paper due Reading: Clulee, Ch. 1; Reader, Pt. IV, #9, 10 4Tu Apr 24: The Propaedeumata Aphoristica, 1558 PL: the Yates thesis (cont) RA: tabular summary 4Th Apr 26: Optics, astronomy and astrology, Angelology, Kabbalah RA: Merkabah mysticism, the Hekhaloth PL: Clulee thesis Reading: Clulee, Ch. 2, 3; Reader, #11, 12 5Tu May 01: Guest lecture: Stan Tenen, MERU Institute, San Anselmo, CA On a Practical Application of Self-Reference in the Rediscovery of Sacred Alphabets, OR Why You Shouldn't Believe This Story, Because If You Could, There Would Be No Need of It. 5Th May 03: Guest lecture: David Jones, Center for Enochian Studies, OTO John Dee's Enochian Revelations Reading: Clulee, Ch. 4 6Tu May 08: ---- No meeting (exchange day) 6Th May 10: Dee in history RA: Dee's place in the history of math The Monas Hieroglyphica, 1564 PL: The ocean and the island General and Rare Memorials, 1577 Second draft of paper due Reading: Clulee, Ch. 5 Optional evening meeting: Enochian demonstration 7Tu May 15: Guest lecture: Diane di Prima, Hermetics and Kabbalah 7Th May 17: RA: From Dee to Chaos Reading: Clulee, Ch. 6 8Tu May 22: Guest lecture: Diane de Prima, The Monad 8Th May 24: PL: What counts for knowledge? Reading: Clulee, Ch. 7 PART III: AD, AFTER DEE 9Tu May 29: RA: From Dee to Newton 9Th May 31: RA: The Trinity and the Calculus Reading: Clulee, Ch. 8 10Tu Jun 05: SIG reports: Cyberspace Economics Magic Music 10Th Jun 07: Math Native American Women in Math Reading: Clulee, Ch. 9 FINAL DRAFT OF PAPER DUE 11Mo Jun 11: Final (4-7pm)