Ideas: A History from Fire to Freud

The Cavendish Laboratory and the birth of particle physics – importance of the experiment – experiment as a rival authority to religion – the soul, Europe and the experiment as the three most important ideas – the great ‘turnings-in’ throughout history – Aristotle’s legacy more fruitful than Plato’s – the mystery of consciousness – the inner self elusive

Notes and References

Further Notes

Index of Names and Places

Index of Ideas

About the Author

By Peter Watson

Copyright

Author’s Note

In the acknowledgements to his book The Joys of Yiddish, published in 1970, Leo Rosten thanks a friend of his who, in making a critique of the manuscript, brought to bear ‘his singular acquaintanceship with ancient history, Latin, Greek, German, Italian, Hebrew, Aramaic and Sanskrit’. It is that last touch I liked – Aramaic and Sanskrit. To be able to speak English, German and Italian is impressive enough; add on Latin, Greek and Hebrew and that marks you out as a linguist of unusual distinction; but Aramaic (the language of Jesus) and Sanskrit? Such an individual can only be what Rosten himself identifies elsewhere in his book as a great scholar, a chachem, ‘a clever, wise or learned man or woman’. In a work such as Ideas it is comforting to think of learning and wisdom as one and the same but Rosten immediately punctures any such hope. ‘A bright young chachem told his grandmother that he was going to be a Doctor of Philosophy. She smiled proudly: “Wonderful. But what kind of disease is philosophy?” ’

I could have done with any number of friends like Rosten’s in the course of writing this book, which ranges over material conceived in many languages, Aramaic and Sanskrit among them. But multi-multilingual mavin (Yiddish for experts, connoisseurs) are not as thick on the ground as once they were. However, I have been no less fortunate in that a number of eminent scholars, who liked the plan for a history of ideas aimed at a general readership, agreed to read either parts or all of the typescript, and to give me the benefit of their expertise. Before I thank them, I hasten to make the usual disclaimer, that such errors, omissions and solecisms as remain in the text are my responsibility and mine alone. That said, I extend my gratitude to: John Arnold, Peter J. Bowler, Peter Burke, Christopher Chippendale, Alan Esterson, Charles Freeman, Dominick Geppert, P. M. Harman, Robert Johnston, John Keay, Gwendolyn Leick, Paul Mellars, Brian Moynahan, Francis Robinson, James Sackett, Chris Scarre, Hagen Schulze, Robert Segal, Chandak Sengoopta, Roger Smith, Wang Tao, Francis Watson and Zhang Haiyan. For editorial and other input, I am also indebted to: Walter Alva, Neil Brodie, Cass Canfield Jr., Dilip Chakrabati, Ian Drury, Vivien Duffield, Hugh van Dusen, Francesco d’Errico, Israel Finkelstein, Ruth and Harry Fitzgibbons, David Gill, Eva Hajdu, Diana and Philip Harari, Jane Henderson, David Henn, Ilona Jasiewicz, Raz Kletter, David Landes, Constance Lowenthal, Fiona McKenzie, Alexander Marshack, John and Patricia Menzies, Oscar Muscarella, Andrew Nurnberg, Joan Oates, Kathrine Palmer, Colin Renfrew, John Russell, Jocelyn Stevens, Cecilia Todeschini, Randall White and Keith Whitelam. The book could not have been written without the help of the staffs of three libraries: the Haddon Library of Anthropology and Archaeology, Cambridge, England; the London Library; the library of the School of Oriental and African Studies, in the University of London. I am most grateful for their help.

At the end of this book there are roughly 3,550 references spread over 95 pages. However, I would like here to draw attention to those titles on which I am especially reliant. One of the very real pleasures of researching and writing Ideas has been making the acquaintance of so many works that, though they may never be bestsellers, are masterpieces of erudition, insight and scholarship. Not a few of the titles mentioned below are classics of their kind, and were this book not so long already I would have liked to have attempted a bibliographical essay describing the contents, approach and attractions of many of the following works. As it is, I will merely say that the list which follows contains books that are, quite simply, indispensable for anyone who wishes to consider himself or herself informed about the history of ideas and that my gratitude to the following authors knows no bounds. The pleasure these volumes have given me is immeasurable.