THE MORAL ECONOMY OF WITCHCRAFT (AN ANALYSIS)

THE MORAL ECONOMY OF WITCHCRAFT (AN ANALYSIS)

 

      The Moral Economy of Witchcraft as written by Ralph A. Austen that you can read from this website; http://www.buala.org/en/to-read/the-moral-economy-of-witchcraft-an-essay-in-comparative-history-i this writings created a world of confusion even from a writers point of view about how witchcraft can be developed nor scattered around the nations of African and European regions. Why most of it still exist and practiced in African community while mostly it vanished in most European countries and other parts of the world? Where it really begins? Or it is really an exercise of demonic belief or just a wild imagination of human innocence and how witchcraft has been somehow related to the morality and economy of nations still remains a question no matter how much conclusions since there is still no concrete facts or evidence that long identified nor recorded that is scientifically proven. The economic standing remains a culprit.

      Ralph have used all the world’s greatest writers and psychic’s point of view and experiences but the economy of witchcraft has somehow headed not to mysticism but to the economic dilemma of people; as in Africa when he found out first that the study of slave trading has been associated with by Beninois historian Felix Iroko in 1988 that people from West Africa, cowry shells are used as a currency during those times and people use it in trading for food and other merchandise. Cowry shells are a very important commodity in those locations, the historian also included that people are willing to kill others in exchange for a shell and slave trading and witchcraft has been used in exchange of cowries, but many historians has also proven that such conclusion is not a determinant and a disgrace to the people since cowries are easily obtained as a large scale imports (Hogendorn and Johnson) and this are just one of the arguments but there is not a fact of how witchcraft and their belief has been apparent.

      The Anthropological researches of witchcraft from Europe and in Africa has also shown an evidence of use of power, authorities and domination can be easily obtained if there are sectors of lavishing alternatives in their belief of the unknown if they can make certain activities of faith in demons. As for leaders they can attract many followers who can be easily controlled, their members do believe to perform various acts including acquisition of wealth and belongings of their member in exchange for eternal life. They can easily discern such rituals, sexual orgies, fetishism and other forms of sacrifice for  their God as the Devil’s will and offerings of sexual pleasure that is perform in a deceitful acts by their leaders who really benefit from such activities of their lust.

      Another example is the Marxian Moral Economy in pursuit for unambiguous analysis they have cited an examples about the peasant studies in general (Roseburry 1989) witchcraft and demonic act is not a simply parts of their culture and traditions but may have also been used to protect their land from abusive capitalist and business people who are willing to occupy and exploit their land in economic pursuit. According to Marxist researchers Witchcraft and Sorcery has been used to drive away foreign people from their land that are using their field for mining, excavation and degrading their natural resources. They implement witchcraft as a form of protection.

      People who tried to destroy the forest, rivers and mountain are killed brutally by ethnic minorities that they used their belief of the demonic pursuit to accomplish and spread this acts so there will be fear. This Marxist example is once again heavily criticized by historian since there is neither evidence nor references of its trace and existence but only the materials that has been used, although historians also believe in the possibility that it can be true. The term moral economy and witchcraft still in progress and no matter how long the early history of tracing back from scientific point of view their existence and practices remains in questions.

      Karl Polanyi (1957) Scott (1985) and many other economist and historians has substantiate a never ending debate that witchcraft and economy has still remains and the theory of utilitarianism is the reasons behind witchcraft that society can perform various acts for the collective measures, power and wealth provides more greed to people that they want more and more until they are satisfied to promote their greatest happiness. The witchcraft and sorcery are now performed through imperialistic approach and battle of economy it has replaced rituals and wizardry and the morality of people has been degraded nor destroyed by this battle.

      They have the same findings that there must be a peasant revolts and witchcraft has been used but the arguments is still limited that there may also be a demand of autonomy from the minorities since people look for leaders and someone to follow, but inevitably it is also the exploitation from lack of education and economic depression that pushes them to perform such acts, politics and other discussions during those times may be able to lighten up such acts but then again the offspring of sabotage and war from minorities may arise upon research to protect their culture and traditions. There are so much to discuss from this course but the fact still remains that the moral economy and witchcraft has been long associated to destroy the morality endlessly until greed exist in the horrible minds of people in the society.

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