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The Evolutionary History of Witch-Hunting - by Steije Hofhuis (Hardcover)

The Evolutionary History of Witch-Hunting - by  Steije Hofhuis (Hardcover) - 1 of 1
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About this item

Highlights

  • Why did early modern Europeans hunt for witches?
  • About the Author: Steije Hofhuis is a historian and works as a postdoctoral researcher at the Berlin Social Science Center, Germany
  • 376 Pages
  • History, Europe

Description



Book Synopsis



Why did early modern Europeans hunt for witches? Were these persecutions a shrewd tool to oppress women or the poor, or were they just a way of making money? Or were witch-hunters primarily driven by a genuine belief in witchcraft? The witches' sabbath, the diabolical pact, and the nightly flight were elements in the early modern concept of witchcraft that seem to have been intelligently designed to trigger persistent witch persecutions. But in contrast to what many past historical scholars presumed, witch-hunts were not based on intelligent design. So how to explain them? This book proposes a new model: Darwinian cultural evolution. It contends that witch-hunting's apparent design emerged from a hidden evolutionary process in which cultural variants which accidentally unleashed larger persecutions were cumulatively preserved. Witch-hunting did not so much evolve to serve human interests but to ensure its own 'selfish' reproduction. Historians have often compared witch persecutions to the outbreaks of contagious disease, but only as a figure of speech. But shouldn't we take the similarities more seriously? This book argues that witch-hunting was a cultural 'virus' that spread at the expense of its human hosts, and thus bridges the gap between qualitative history and the burgeoning field of Darwinian cultural evolution.



From the Back Cover



Why did early modern Europeans hunt for witches? Were these persecutions a shrewd tool to oppress women or the poor, or were they just a way of making money? Or were witch-hunters primarily driven by a genuine belief in witchcraft? The witches' sabbath, the diabolical pact, and the nightly flight were elements in the early modern concept of witchcraft that seem to have been intelligently designed to trigger persistent witch persecutions. But in contrast to what many past historical scholars presumed, witch-hunts were not based on intelligent design. So how to explain them? This book proposes a new model: Darwinian cultural evolution. It contends that witch-hunting's apparent design emerged from a hidden evolutionary process in which cultural variants which accidentally unleashed larger persecutions were cumulatively preserved. Witch-hunting did not so much evolve to serve human interests but to ensure its own 'selfish' reproduction. Historians have often compared witch persecutions to the outbreaks of contagious disease, but only as a figure of speech. But shouldn't we take the similarities more seriously? This book argues that witch-hunting was a cultural 'virus' that spread at the expense of its human hosts, and thus bridges the gap between qualitative history and the burgeoning field of Darwinian cultural evolution.

Steije Hofhuis is a historian and works as a postdoctoral researcher at the Berlin Social Science Center, Germany



About the Author



Steije Hofhuis is a historian and works as a postdoctoral researcher at the Berlin Social Science Center, Germany

Dimensions (Overall): 8.27 Inches (H) x 5.83 Inches (W) x .88 Inches (D)
Weight: 1.36 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 376
Genre: History
Sub-Genre: Europe
Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
Theme: General
Format: Hardcover
Author: Steije Hofhuis
Language: English
Street Date: December 7, 2024
TCIN: 1002216641
UPC: 9783031669354
Item Number (DPCI): 247-32-8052
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported

Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 0.88 inches length x 5.83 inches width x 8.27 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1.36 pounds
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