Marxism & Witchcraft

Marxism and Witchcraft is a vitally important book, a tremendous resource for anyone interested in the question ‘How did we get into this mess?’ At this time of environmental meltdown, Kubrin’s careful analysis of how and why the mechanistic model was imposed on science, philosophy and Western culture is vital to our understanding what we must do to transform it. To see the world as alive again, infused with vitality and spirit, we must also confront the violence with which that worldview was stamped out – the Witch persecutions that assaulted women’s power and traditional modes of healing, the genocide against indigenous people in the Americas and dehumanizing African slave trade all worked together to break peoples’ ties to land, culture and a relational world view. Such understanding is vital for those striving to develop an intersectional critique of racism, sexism and structural oppression. Kubrin’s extensive knowledge of the history of science and the underlying politics behind the adoption of the mechanistic paradigm is a unique and valuable contribution. Kubrin has had a huge influence on my own writing and thinking ever since I heard him lecture on this topic more than forty years ago. Now, with this new book, he has deepened and expanded his thesis to made an enormous contribution to all who seek to change the world. Thanks–it is truly a massive piece of work, fascinating and vitally important for this political moment. – Starhawk