CLASSICS 330- Midterm Exam Guide - Comprehensive Notes for the exam ( 73 pages long!)
16 Feb 2018
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Very little consensus on how it works. *if we knew exactly how it worked, it would not be magic. Magic gives us a sense of control; it is mysterious; it is inexplicable; it is mentally satisfying. What view of nature, the gods, etc. is behind a culture"s idea of magic. The psychological benefits and effects of magic. Tylor"s idea of mistaking ideal connections for real connections . Often performed by people who feel they have no ordinary recourse. Example: voodoo dolls; an image of something. Example: a piece of someone or something. Sympathetic magic is an explanation of the internal logic of magic. Each culture will have its own explanation of how and why these ideas of sympathy work. Anthropologist working in trobriand islands in early 20th century. Distinguishes magic and religion on one hand from science on the other. Magic as not delusion, but a practical measure.
