A Sabbat of Demonologists: Basel, 1431–1440

Bailey, Michael D.; Peters, Edward

doi:10.1111/j.0018-2370.2003.00057.x

Cited by 13 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…They pointed to such things as financial gain, the strengthening of clerical power, the oppression of women, or the destruction of traditional peasant culture. 20 More recently, however, many experts have concluded that the people responsible for the persecutions were genuinely afraid of witches, while the trials occurred in a rather unplanned and haphazard manner. 21 Moreover, the effects of witch persecutions often appear to have been dysfunctional.…”

Section: The Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…19 Karl Lamprecht aimed to unveil the social and material collective forces, and "biogenetic fundamental laws", that underlay the allegedly superficial events that his colleagues were studying. 20 The response of the German historical establishment was vitriolic, triggering one of the most bitter conflicts in the history of the profession. This so called Methodenstreit , "the methods dispute", provided the context in which Windelband and Dilthey came to the historians' defense.…”

Section: History and The "Hard" Natural Sciencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…15 Durkheim, Cours de science sociale. Leçon d'ouverture,[5][6]20;Spencer,Herbert Spencer on Social Evolution,[83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95][96]Burke,History and Social Theory,[6][7][8][9] Durkheim, Cours de science sociale. Leçon d'ouverture, 6.…”

Section: History and The "Hard" Natural Sciencesunclassified

“…17 Durkheim, Cours de science sociale. Leçon d'ouverture,20.' "il tombe dans la vain érudition." 18 Tollebeek, "Het Duitse debat," 27.…”

Section: History and The "Hard" Natural Sciencesunclassified

“…19 Jaeger and Rüsen, Geschichte des Historismus, Iggers,Historiography,[31][32][33][34]Tollebeek,"Het Duitse debat"; Wiersing, Geschichte des historischen Denkens, 459-79. 20 Jaeger and Rüsen, Geschichte des Historismus, 145. "biogenetischen Grundgesetzen."…”

Section: History and The "Hard" Natural Sciencesunclassified

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Qualitative Darwinism

Hofhuis¹

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Why did early modern Europeans hunt for witches? Were witch hunts 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 many explanations adduced by historians, witch hunts were not based on intelligent design. So how to explain them? Steije Hofhuis suggests a new theory: Darwinian cultural evolution. He contends that the apparent design underlying the witch hunts emerged from a hidden evolutionary process. That process fostered the preservation of cultural variants which over time accidentally unleashed larger and larger persecutions. Witch-hunts did not so much evolve to serve human interests, but ensured their own “selfish” reproduction. Historians have often compared witch persecutions to the outbreaks of contagious disease, but only as figure of speech. But shouldn’t we take the similarities more seriously? Were witch-hunts perhaps a cultural ‘virus’ that spread at the expense of its human hosts? This study bridges the gap between qualitative history and the upcoming field of Darwinian cultural evolution. The aim is to contribute to a new research program, based on the qualitative application of Darwinian theory to the humanities

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Section: The Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: History and The "Hard" Natural Sciencesmentioning

confidence: 99%