The Quest for Hermes Trismegistus

Beginning with Ficino's work on the Corpus Hermeticum in 15th century Florence, this book is a tour de force in the search for a deeper understanding of gnosis. Immensely erudite and continuing the work of GRS Mead and Frances Yates, the book traces the influence of hermetic thinking through different areas of the Western tradition drawing on a wide range of scholarship. It gives the reader quite a different flavour of the development of Western philosophy than would be found in any standard textbook. The thought of Jean Gebser plays a prominent role in highlighting the cultural evolution of consciousness and the rising influence of this kind of thought in our time. Our quest for truth and sound knowledge must be pursued on the widest front and not restricted by narrow assumptions.