Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Prisca philosophia
(872 words)

1. Concept

The concept of a perfect, primal wisdom, a prisca philosophia (ancient philosophy) or prisca sapientia (ancient wisdom), enjoyed by Adam in Paradise and not entirely lost even after the Fall, dominated the conception of history (History, conception of) developed in terms of the teleological Christian narrative of salvation [5. 646–701] (History, theology of).

The belief in a prisca philosophia belonged to a tradition dating back to the apologetics of the Church Fathers of late antiq…

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Lehmann-Brauns, Sicco, “Prisca philosophia”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 03 June 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_025879>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20210107



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