Aloha,
On 2/14/2006 at 5:10 PM Richard Ramsay wrote:
>Are magicians offering a philosophy or a practice and, if the latter, is
it
>realistic to ask them to prove that magic, or their version of it,
‘works’?
I think that *magic* offers a range of philosophies. Or that it's
compatible
with a range of philosophies. Or that a range of philosophies support
magical endeavors. And support a range of definitions of *magic.*
Magic, in addition, offers a range of practices and/or things to do. Or
perhaps a mode or skillset for doing things and undertaking practices.
If required, I could not reliably and repeatably demonstrate that any
magical endeavor brings about specific results. Nonetheless, I would
suggest that magical endeavors do bring about desired results. Possibly
results unique to a person, place, thing, or moment of time.
I'm not sure whether it's reasonable to ask the subject group of an
academic study to *prove* that a topic of study *works.* Or that a
topic of study *works* the way we would *prove* it.
About ten years ago I took up mountain biking. I'd say that the only
way to know what riding is like is to ride. On a given day along a
particular trail, a rider may only have to negotiate a specific set of
obstacles or circumstances once--and never again--to bring all
her or his skills to bear.
I'd say that magic is just the same. The only way to know what magic
is like is to do it. Not for the proof, but for the experience of skillful
accomplishment and not-so-skillful failure to accomplish.
Musing I Just Washed My Method & I Can't Do A Thing With It! Rose,
Pitch
<<You mean to say that while I was talking theology he was talking
physics?>>
--a character in Alexei Panshin's SF novel *StarWell* about his
conversations
with Torve the Trog
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