A General Theory of Magic

by Marcel Mauss

Overview

First written by Marcel Mauss and Henri Humbert in 1902, A General Theory of Magic gained a wide new readership when republished by Mauss in 1950. As a study of magic in 'primitive' societies and its survival today in our thoughts and social actions, it represents what Claude Lévi-Strauss called, in an introduction to that edition, the astonishing modernity of the mind of one of the century's greatest thinkers. The book offers a fascinating snapshot of magic throughout various cultures as well as deep sociological and religious insights still very much relevant today. At a period when art, magic and science appear to be crossing paths once again, A General Theory of Magic presents itself as a classic for our times.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415255509
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	05/18/2001
Series:	Routledge Classics
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.06(w) x 7.81(h) x (d)

About the Author

Marcel Mauss (1872 - 1950) French anthropologist and sociologist, author of The Gift, and, with Emile Durkheim, Primitive Classification.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Prologue1. Sources and Historical Background
2. A Definition of Magic
3. The Elements of Magic
The Magician
The Actions
Representations
General Observations
4. An Analysis and Explanation of Magic
Belief
5. An Analysis of Ideological Explanations Concerning the Effectiveness of Ritual
Mana
Collective States and Collective Forces
Conclusion
Index

Editorial Reviews

'It is enough to recall that Mauss' influence is not limited to ethnographers, none of whom could claim to have escaped it, but extends also to linguists, psychologists, historians or religion and orientalists.' - Claude Lévi-Strauss

From the Publisher

It is enough to recall that Mauss' influence is not limited to ethnographers, none of whom could claim to have escaped it, but extends also to linguists, psychologists, historians or religion and orientalists.

Claude Levi-Strauss

Marcel Mauss, Emile Durkheim's nephew and most distinguished pupil, was a man of unusual ability and learning, and also of integrity and strong conviction. After Durkheim's death he was the leading figure in French sociology.

E.E. Evans-Pritchard