Pansophia, Theosophia, and Philosophia Sacra - Seminar

In this lecture / seminar Dr Sasha Chaitow looks at  the seventeenth-century thinkers  who took a universalist approaches to knowledge, echoing the Renaissance quest for a perennial philosophy and reacting to the religious conflicts ravaging Europe.  These esoteric explorers attempted to combine all human knowledge “according to a pansophic logic whereby everything in the world and thereby all departments of knowledge are related to each other,"  aiming to reveal the universal principles underpinning all. "Pansophia, Theosophia, and the Philosophia Sacra" unpacks key concepts and individuals, and goes on to show the approaches' deep influence on subsequent esoteric movements.

How it works. Before the seminar date (14 June) you will listen to Dr Sasha Chaitow's pre-recorded lecture and read through some source texts, both of which will be emailed to you in the preceding week. When  you join the online 2.5-hour seminar, you will be discussing in small groups in Zoom 'breakout rooms' and also sharing with the whole group. The discussions are based off the lecture and readings, so please allow time to look at these in the preceding week. Sasha hosts Q&A the start and end.

About the Instructor Dr Sasha Chaitow earned her PhD in Cultural History/Western Esotericism at the University of Essex. She holds an MA in the History of Western Esotericism (University of Exeter, 2008), and an MA in Literature (University of Indianapolis, 2004). She has published two books based on her research, is working on two more, and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and magazines. She is a frequent guest lecturer at universities and has 20 years experience in adult education. She frequently presents her research at conferences and has organised numerous academic symposia. In her parallel career as a visual artist, she has produced 13 solo art exhibitions in the UK, Greece, and Sweden and  participates in curated group exhibitions. Current (2022) research interests include the history of science and its intersection with wider culture between the 18th-21st centuries, and interdisciplinary approaches in the health sciences. Full CV: www.sashachaitow.co.uk/about-2

Forthcoming Seminars in Western Esotericism

9 · 12th Jul The Scientific Revolution and the Counter-Enlightenment

10 · 9th Aug Initiation and Esoteric Fraternities

11 · 13th Sep The Occult Revival and Modernism

12. · 11th Oct 21st Century Occulture