Sceptical Publications: Balthasar Bekker - 1691 Flashcards
What was the name of his key publication?
‘The Enchanted World’, 1691.
Who was Bekker?
He was a Dutch clergyman and the son of a Calvinist Minister.
His father influenced his religious beliefs.
He became a minister in 1657.
What philosophy did he ascribe to?
Cartesian Rationality.
What did he publish in 1668 and what was its premise?
‘On Cartesian Philosophy’.
Cannot explain natural events by referencing the Bible - this idea was revived in Enchanted World.
What did two historians say about the significance of Enchanted World?
It was the “most influential critical work on beliefs in the 17th century.”
Who was he influenced by?
Reginald Scot: Agreed about the impossibility of witchcraft.
Why did his reasoning differ from Scot’s?
He used the Bible as his only source but approached it without bias - similar approach to Ady.
Scot often relied on rumours and stories.
Why was he doubtful of the cases he was aware of?
They all involved deception or irregularity.
Why did he say the Devil can’t interfere in our world?
As he has no body.
Interpreted the Bible to say that the Devil was permanently banished to hell.
In his view, why was it impossible for the Devil to have any power?
If the Devil is an instrument of God and has no power of his own, anyone who believes that the Devil has power is a heretic for believing in two gods.
What did he say about attributing events to nature?
Witches shouldn’t be blamed for events that we can attribute to natural events.
He was similar to Scot in saying that there is much we do not know about nature but that will be revealed through future scientific developments.
How does Trevor-Roper criticise Bekker?
Like with Webster, he adds no new arguments - his work coincides with changing beliefs due to science and the intellectual climate.
What specific example shows its significance?
4000 copies of it was sold.
It was translated into major European languages.
What did pamphlets do in retaliation?
They actually criticised Bekker for causing a decline in belief.
This is because German hunters were worried of his influence - towns banned his book.
What happened to Bekker?
He was put on trial for blasphemy.
