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Science and Specters at Salem — Ceremonial Magic

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Science and Specters at Salem

Name: Science and Specters at Salem
Price: 225.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781032317885

✍️ Goldish, Matt

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Matt Goldish’s groundbreaking work shifts the focus from the social dynamics of the Salem witch trials to the intellectual foundations of its presiding judges. Rather than attributing their decisions to simple prejudice, this book meticulously explores how specific philosophical commitments, particularly those of the 17th-century "anti-Sadducee" movement, informed the judiciary's acceptance of controversial evidence like spectral testimony. Goldish reveals how the rational arguments of influential thinkers, contemporaries of Boyle and Newton, inadvertently provided a framework that led to the execution of twenty accused witches, offering a profound reinterpretation of this dark chapter in history.

Goldish, Matt

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Ceremonial Magic

🏛 Routledge 📅 2024 📖 130 pages 📔 Hardcover ISBN: 9781032317885

Fun Fact

Goldish’s *Science and Specters at Salem* offers a vital, refreshing perspective on one of America's most infamous historical events. By meticulously examining the intellectual landscape that shaped the judges' decisions, it moves beyond mere social dynamics to reveal profound philosophical roots. While it may not satisfy those seeking sensationalized, narrative-driven accounts, it is essential for anyone serious about understanding the complex interplay of belief, law, and power in early modern history. A significant contribution to our understanding of the trials.

📝 Description: Science and Specters at Salem

Most studies of the Salem witch trials focus on social history and the dynamics between accused and accusers. Science and Specters at Salem turns instead to the intellectual background of the judges to understand why they accepted controversial types of evidence. The role of judges in a witch trial was central. Goldish argues that in Salem the judges' acceptance of questionable touch tests and spectral evidence was a result of their intellectual commitments. Several of the Salem judges were highly educated, and some of them were adherents of a particular philosophical school in England led by Henry More and Joseph Glanvill which Goldish calls "the anti-Sadducees." He demonstrates how the ideas of these leading thinkers, friends of Robert Boyle and Sir Isaac Newton, could have led to the deaths of twenty accused witches in Salem. This book will interest students and scholars of witch trials, American colonial history, Atlantic history, legal history and early modern Europe, as well as lay readers wanting a better understanding of Salem.

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Goldish offers a rigorous, albeit dense, examination of the philosophical roots of the Salem witch trials, focusing heavily on the anti-Sadducee movement and its impact on judicial evidence. While intellectually robust, this book is not suited for readers seeking a narrative-driven account or those uninterested in deep philosophical analysis. It may frustrate those expecting a focus on social dynamics over intellectual foundations. However, for those willing to engage with complex arguments regarding contemporaries of Boyle and Newton, it provides a compelling, if sobering, reinterpretation of how rationality failed its subjects.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers fascinated by the intricate relationship between rational thought and historical tragedy will find immense value in this nuanced exploration. It appeals to those seeking to understand how respected intellectual frameworks, rather than mere prejudice, can lead to catastrophic outcomes. Anyone interested in the philosophical underpinnings of the Salem witch trials, particularly regarding spectral testimony and judicial reasoning, will gain a profound new perspective on this dark chapter. It is essential for scholars and enthusiasts who wish to move beyond social dynamics to grasp the specific intellectual commitments that drove the presiding judges.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

If you've always questioned the underlying logic of the Salem trials, or seek to understand the profound intellectual currents influencing early American justice and esoteric beliefs, this book offers a crucial new perspective. It is essential reading for historians, legal scholars, and anyone…

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Goldish offers a rigorous, albeit dense, examination of the philosophical roots of the Salem witch trials, focusing heavily on the anti-Sadducee movement and its impact on judicial evidence. While intellectually robust, this book is not suited for readers seeking a narrative-driven account or those uninterested in deep philosophical analysis. It may frustrate those expecting a focus on social dynamics over intellectual foundations. However, for those willing to engage with complex arguments regarding contemporaries of Boyle and Newton, it provides a compelling, if sobering, reinterpretation of how rationality failed its subjects.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Unlike most studies that focus on social history or local dynamics, this book uniquely explores the intellectual background and philosophical commitments of the presiding judges, arguing these informed their acceptance of controversial evidence.

The 'anti-Sadducees' were a 17th-century philosophical school, led by thinkers like Henry More, who believed in the existence of spirits and supernatural phenomena. Goldish argues their intellectual framework inadvertently provided a basis for the Salem judges to validate spectral evidence.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Judicial Acceptance of Evidence

Goldish meticulously examines how highly educated judges came to validate contested evidence, such as 'touch tests' and 'spectral evidence.' The work illustrates how their pre-existing intellectual frameworks and commitment to specific philosophical schools provided the rationale for deeming such supernatural claims admissible and ultimately, damning.

The Anti-Sadducee Influence

A central theme is the unexpected role of the "anti-Sadducee" movement, a philosophical school championed by figures like Henry More and Joseph Glanvill. The book explains how their reasoned arguments for the existence of spirits, intended to combat atheism, paradoxically supplied a robust intellectual scaffolding for validating witchcraft accusations in court.

📜 Historical context

The Salem witch trials, a dark chapter in colonial American history, are re-examined through the lens of transatlantic intellectual exchange. This work situates the trials not merely as a localized social aberration, but as a crucible where early modern European philosophical debates about the supernatural, particularly those championed by figures influencing Newton and Boyle, tragically intersected with nascent legal practices in the New World, leading to devastating judicial outcomes.

📚 Glossary

Spectral Evidence
Anti-Sadducees
Touch Tests

📔 Questions to reflect on

Consider how deeply held philosophical or spiritual beliefs, even those intended for good, might inadvertently lead to detrimental outcomes when applied to legal or social systems.
Reflect on the historical tension between scientific inquiry and the acceptance of supernatural phenomena. Where do you see echoes of this tension today?
How might modern legal systems guard against the influence of unverified, yet widely accepted, ideological or pseudoscientific 'evidence'?