JOHN DEE’S NATURAL PHILOSOPHY REVISITED

Abstract

Almost thirty years ago I presented my first paper on Dee, and the reception at the History of Science Society meeting was not so much hostile as vacant and indifferent. At a time when the “Scientific Revolution” had pride of place in the history of science, Dee could not hold a candle to Copernicus, Vesalius, Galileo, Descartes, Newton, or the other heroes of scientific progress. For close to the next quarter century I could not count on anyone in an audience knowing who Dee was, let alone recognizing him as of any importance. Because of these experiences I developed an almost ritual like formula of several sentences to introduce Dee and plug his claim to scholarly attention.