ABSTRACT
At the beginning of this study I said that no doors would be closed. So much concerning John Dee and his philosophy remains obscure that, although I have tried to make a fair assessment of him and his role in Renaissance England, no definitive evaluation is yet possible. To understand fully his powerful personality, his abstruse philosophy, his genius and his lunacy will take more than one study; it will require the work of many scholars in different fields. After working on Dee for several years, I do not think a single individual is capable of examining adequately his importance in all areas of Renaissance thought. His role in the history of science – each branch of it – should be thoroughly evaluated by a historian of science. My own study of Dee's relationship with the Sidney circle presents that group in a rather different light, but it should be expanded. There are intriguing facets of Dee's role in Elizabethan England that I have barely mentioned; for instance, his curious association with the leading political figures of the time deserves careful scrutiny by a historian of politics. Finally, John Dee's considerable influence on the Continent certainly ought to be examined in detail. I have merely attempted to make a beginning, to present an overall picture of Dee that may induce others to study him and his thought.
