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this also makes sense, because witch hunting socially would be a response to the successes of the scientific revoltion. Without the results/successes of tech d

this also makes sense, because witch hunting socially would be a response to the successes of the scientific revoltion. Without the results/successes of tech developments, we probably wouldn't have as much witch burnings and hunts. Think about doctors walking around healing people, doing surgeries. That's basically what a witch does. Where else do they get their power? the Massachusetts witch trials were 1692-93, and pardons only started being given out well into the 1700's https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-the-salem-witch-trials-175162489/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-th... There's also the critical theory about how the Enlightenment is only the Enlightenment in retrospect. During that time, it would have been a miserable existence full of broken and exploited people, and people believing in totally different realities and agendas. It's like someone looking back 500 years in the future would would say "during the covid era science developed significant breakthroughs in universal vaccine technology" Where as looking from today, it's all about vaccine/mask denialism, protests about 5G microchips, mass information, mass deaths (a lot of people died in the last 2 years from disease), etc.

whatshisface 4y ago
>There's also the critical theory about how the Enlightenment is only the Enlightenment in retrospect. During that time, it would have been a miserable existence full of broken and exploited people, and people believing in totally different realities and agendas. That's not a theory, that's the obvious interpretation of what everyone knows about the time period, including the people who were living in it. Even the texts of the enlightenment are often about how bad they think their society is.
constantcrying 4y ago
>Think about doctors walking around healing people, doing surgeries. That's basically what a witch does. Where else do they get their power? Healers in the middle ages performed life saving surgeries, even on people with serious injuries to their skulls. (This isn't supposed to be a scientific defense of medieval healing techniques, but these were skilled people with limited tools and knoledge trying their best. Same as today.) Successfull healers weren't considered witches, because they were recognized as a legitimite profession and the catholic church largely regarded "healing magic" as pagan superstition.

whatshisface 4y ago

>There's also the critical theory about how the Enlightenment is only the Enlightenment in retrospect. During that time, it would have been a miserable existence full of broken and exploited people, and people believing in totally different realities and agendas. That's not a theory, that's the obvious interpretation of what everyone knows about the time period, including the people who were living in it. Even the texts of the enlightenment are often about how bad they think their society is.

constantcrying 4y ago

>Think about doctors walking around healing people, doing surgeries. That's basically what a witch does. Where else do they get their power? Healers in the middle ages performed life saving surgeries, even on people with serious injuries to their skulls. (This isn't supposed to be a scientific defense of medieval healing techniques, but these were skilled people with limited tools and knoledge trying their best. Same as today.) Successfull healers weren't considered witches, because they were recognized as a legitimite profession and the catholic church largely regarded "healing magic" as pagan superstition.