Rethinking the Anthropology of Magic and Witchcraft (Paperback)
Language: English
Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd, London, 2023
- Softcover
- New
Seller: Grand Eagle Retail, Bensenville, IL, U.S.A.Grand Eagle Retail
AbeBooks seller since October 12, 2005
Condition: New
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Paperback. This book introduces students to the anthropology of magic and witchcraft, terms widely used but with no widely accepted definitions. It takes a new approach to this area within the anthropology of religion, demonstrating that the bases for these beliefs and alleged practices are inherent in human cognition and psychology, even instinctual, and likely rooted in our evolutionary biology. It shows how magic and magical thinking are regular elements in peoples daily lives, and that understanding the components of the witchcraft complex offers surprisingly important insights into patterns of thinking and social behavior.The book reviews the many meanings of magic and witchcraft, and introduces the best anthropological meanings of the terms. The components of these beliefs are timeless and universal; this fact, and recent advances in the brain sciences, suggest that the principles of magic are derived from basic processes of human thinking, and the attributes of the witch derive from neurobiologically based fears and fantasies. The propensity for such beliefs probably had adaptive significance in the evolutionary development of the human species; they are inherently human.This book is intended to focus anew on the core concepts of magic, witchcraft, and the supernatural, while also serving as an introduction to the anthropology of religion for undergraduate and graduate-level courses. This book introduces readers to the anthropology of magic, witchcraft, and supernatural belief. It takes a new approach to this area, demonstrating that the bases for these beliefs and alleged practices are instinctual, inherent in human cognition and psychology, and are likely rooted in our evolutionary biology. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.…
Seller Inventory # 9781032414263
- Title
- Rethinking the Anthropology of Magic and Witchcraft (Paperback)
- Author
- Phillips Stevens, Jr.
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis Ltd, London
- Publication year
- 2023
- Condition
- new
- Binding
- Paperback
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 103241426X
- ISBN 13
- 9781032414263
This book introduces students to the anthropology of magic and witchcraft, terms widely used but with no widely accepted definitions. It takes a new approach to this area within the anthropology of religion, demonstrating that the bases for these beliefs and alleged practices are inherent in human cognition and psychology, even instinctual, and likely rooted in our evolutionary biology. It shows how magic and magical thinking are regular elements in people’s daily lives, and that understanding the components of the witchcraft complex offers surprisingly important insights into patterns of thinking and social behavior.
The book reviews the many meanings of “magic” and “witchcraft,” and introduces the best anthropological meanings of the terms. The components of these beliefs are timeless and universal; this fact, and recent advances in the brain sciences, suggest that the principles of magic are derived from basic processes of human thinking, and the attributes of the witch derive from neurobiologically based fears and fantasies. The propensity for such beliefs probably had adaptive significance in the evolutionary development of the human species; they are inherently human.
This book is intended to focus anew on the core concepts of magic, witchcraft, and the supernatural, while also serving as an introduction to the anthropology of religion for undergraduate and graduate-level courses.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Phil Stevens received his BA from Yale in English in 1963, then worked for three years with the Peace Corps in Nigeria. He entered the graduate anthropology program at Northwestern University, returned to Nigeria for dissertation research, and received his PhD in 1973. During 48 years with the anthropology department at SUNY, Buffalo, he conducted further research in Nigeria and the Caribbean, received two awards for teaching and an honorary Nigerian chieftaincy title, and wrote many publications in anthropology and African studies. He is the editor of Routledge’s 4-volume Anthropology of Religion: Critical Concepts in Religious Studies, 2011.
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Grand Eagle Retail
Bensenville, IL, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since October 12, 2005
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