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I believe that Empiricism and Magic are strongly related though it is not the same to say that Magic IS the same as Science. In my anthropology thesis in which I have explored Samael Aun Weor's gnosticism in Argentina, I came across with a strong notion of empiricism as a way of "proving by yourself" the effects of the exercises suggested by these teachings.
From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sebastián
Sent: Thursday, July 08, 2010 3:13 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] magic and empiricism
I wrote about this issue and pointed out as part of post-postmodernist worldview in which there might occured some kind of "massification of the scientific methodology" helped by the autonomic and human potential movement from the second half of 20th century. The whole hypothesis was based in that the supposedly "disenchantment of the world" in the first half of the 20th century might leaded up to these autonomy movements in which was involved and boosted the process of rationalization and individualization pointed out by Durkheim and Weber.
Sebastian
On Thu, Jul 8, 2010 at 4:21 AM, kaostar <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
sorry this went to just Marie first go, not whole list
from SSOTBME, Lionel Snell, one of the *best* books i've ever read about how
to compare science and magic
science hates the fleeting singularity, it revolves around test-repaet
validity, and magic cannot then be scientific, or often open to scientific
testing as for the most part it involves one-offs (that is my clumsy precis,
not a quote - the book is far more elegant)
Randi is as dogmatic and (oddly enough 'religious'- about his scepticism) as
any pro-psychic powers spokesperson, or as Richard Dawkins is that there is no
god.
I've spoken to Mr Geller on the phone and he's among the people i'd put on a
list of 'those who have got something really special' who i've met. Robert
Lenkiewicz the (late) artist and probable magician was another. But how to
define that and do anything with it within a scientific framework? Hard - and
i'm a trained scientist; started out life in biomedics, which is test, retest,
support hypothesis stuff...
Dave E
--
"Your conscience is the measure of the honesty of your selfishness. Listen to it carefully".
-Richard Bach, The Messiah's Handbook. Ilusions-