Darrin McMahon, “Deconstructing Genius” (Open Agenda, 2021)
New Books in Science, Technology, and Society
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The Receding of the Divine in the Eighteenth Century
There is a palpable sense that god and god's intermediaries, you said, angels and saints and so forth, have receded. And it's in that space that somebody like newton can play something of the role of the patron saint or higher human being. O this, ah, the receding of the divine in the eighteenth century. The divine doesn't go away theighteenth century. Most people in the 18th century are atheists. But i say, not really politicized anat one of the part of the genius of napoleon is that he, ah, not only is quick on his feet, but he uses that coll very self consciously.
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