Magic and the Occult in Early Modern Europe

Magical and occult thinking have played central roles in Western European culture, a point often overlooked or downplayed by historians who have concentrated on the development of rational thought and the decline of “superstition.” Belief in the ability of human beings to interpret or manipulate supernatural powers shaped popular practices aimed at dealing with everyday problems as well as intellectual theories designed to explain the world. We will examine both the popular and intellectual sides of magic, and how they came together with brutal force in the witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries. Pre-1800 (Counts for HSMT credit)