{"product_id":"the-decline-of-magic-michael-hunter-9780300260953","title":"The Decline of Magic: Britain in the Enlightenment","description":"\u003cb\u003eA new history that overturns the received wisdom that science displaced magic in Enlightenment Britain--named a Best Book of 2020 by the \u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In early modern Britain, belief in prophecies, omens, ghosts, apparitions and fairies was commonplace. Among both educated and ordinary people the absolute existence of a spiritual world was taken for granted. Yet in the eighteenth century such certainties were swept away. Credit for this great change is usually given to science - and in particular to the scientists of the Royal Society. But is this justified? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Michael Hunter argues that those pioneering the change in attitude were not scientists but freethinkers. While some scientists defended the reality of supernatural phenomena, these sceptical humanists drew on ancient authors to mount a critique both of orthodox religion and, by extension, of magic and other forms of superstition. Even if the religious heterodoxy of such men tarnished their reputation and postponed the general acceptance of anti-magical views, slowly change did come about. When it did, this owed less to the testing of magic than to the growth of confidence in a stable world in which magic no longer had a place.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Michael Hunter\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0300260954\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780300260953\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Yale University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/23\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 256\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.30lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.72h x 5.04w x 0.87d","brand":"Michael Hunter","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43988496220415,"sku":"9780300260953","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_d0e95152-96e6-4253-aa9d-3930658c586c.jpg?v=1683294799","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-decline-of-magic-michael-hunter-9780300260953","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}