The history of Western thought contains hundreds of such statements by major philosophers testifying to the use of esoteric writing in their own work or others’. Despite this long and well-documented history, however, esotericism is often dismissed today as a rare occurrence. But by ignoring esotericism, we risk cutting ourselves off from a full understanding of Western philosophical thought.
Introduction: What Is Philosophical Esotericism?
Chapter 1. The Testimonial Evidence for Esotericism
Chapter 2. Interlude: Two Brief Examples
Chapter 3. The Theoretical Basis of Philosophical Esotericism: The “Problem of Theory and Praxis”
Chapter 4. Objections, Resistance, and Blindness to Esotericism
Chapter 5. Fear of Persecution: Defensive Esotericism
Chapter 6. Dangerous Truths: Protective Esotericism
Chapter 7. The Educational Benefits of Obscurity: Pedagogical Esotericism
Chapter 8. Rationalizing the World: Political Esotericism
Chapter 9. A Beginner’s Guide to Esoteric Reading
Chapter 10. Defending Reason: Esotericism and the Critique of Historicism