Magical Thinking

History, Possibility and the Idea of the Occult

By: Stuart McWilliams

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Paperback | 20 June 2013 | Edition Number 1

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200 Pages

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23.4 x 15.6 x 1.27

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Magic is usually defined as a non-modern phenomenon, contrasted with modern rationalism and science. However, the idea of magic has remained persistent in scholarly discourse throughout history from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment and beyond. This volume explores how the notion of magic is articulated and theorised in the writing of history. Departing from writing "about" magic in history, this volume addresses magic as it relates to the trajectories of intellectual history as a whole, with particular reference to a diverse series of case studies in thought about magic. The author also engages with the history and philosophy of science; operating within this framework, the author argues that magic has always been figured as "medieval" in the formulation of the discourses of modernity, and that thinking or writing about magic has engendered multiple epistemological crises. Through these controversies, the idea of magic and the occult has profoundly unsettled the understanding of history in Western culture. The resulting study is an investigation of the implications of magic (and the study of magic) for intellectual history.

Industry Reviews

I enjoyed the book and found its reasoning provocative...I will look forward to McWilliams's future books -- Claire Fanger, Rice University * The British Journal for the History of Science *
The erudition and the learnedness of some the passages are simply breathtaking... [An] engaging and surprising piece of work... we will undoubtedly read more of [McWilliams's] work in the future. -- Jakob Lehne, European University Institute * European Review of History *

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