There appears to be a similar trend evident in anthropology in the work of
Peter Geschiere (1997, 'The Modernity of Witchcraft') and Jean & John
Comaroff's edited collection ('Modernity and its Malcontents') amongst
others. Also of interested is the more recent collection edited by Brigit
Meyer and Peter Pels, 'Magic and Modernity: Interfaces of Revelation and
Concealment' (2003). The impetus of much of this work refers back to
Michael Taussig's classic study of the 'magical' beliefs of the Bolivian
peasantry as a form of resistance to the 'unnatural' and 'sorcerous'
aspects of capitalism, and ultimately back to Marx's notion of commodity
fetishism.
Justin
> Has anybody here read Isabelle Stengers recent book (with P. Pignarre)
> 'La
> Sorcellerie capitaliste', published last year? It's not translated yet.
>
>
> Isabelle Stengers is a highly respected philosopher of science (she
> co-wrote 'Order out of Chaos' with Ilya Prigogine). In her recent writings
> and in this new book, she has been claiming that capitalism makes use of
> practices of sorcery, and that those who wish to resist capitalism can
> learn from 'neo-pagan' sources about means of 'de-bewitchment'
> (desenvoutement). She
> has said that she now wants to take on the name 'witch', which she of
> course realises will cause a frisson of anxiety among her current
> readership! Recently, she also translated one of Starhawk's books into
> French.
>
>
> Would anyone like to discuss this work here or off-list?
>
>
>
> C
>
>
>
