General Theory of Witchcraft The Nature and Function of Sacrifice

Author: Marcel Mauss
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The General Theory of Witchcraft is the masterpiece of Marcel Mauss, a representative of the French Annals School. The Nature and Function of Sacrifice is a collaborative work by Mauss and Henri Hubert. Mauss used the materials and insights gathered during the writing of this book to compose The General Theory of Witchcraft. These two books are of great significance for understanding Mauss's concept of "total social facts," recognizing the relationship between the individual and the collective, and comprehending the connection between ideas, behavior, and society. They established the author's position in French sociology and are classic works in the history of anthropology. We have compiled them together to allow readers to compare and contrast, gaining a glimpse into the academic thought of the Annals School.
Sacrifice is a typical religious act. The concept of "sacredness" it establishes is not only a set of ethereal illusions but also a real social system. The establishment of this concept is not solely through religious acts but also through non-religious acts, with magic as its representative. Magic, on the surface, is implemented by individual witches and often appears as individual behavior, but this book reveals its social attributes. Mauss first presents the various basic manifestations of magic, then logically connects these manifestations to their holistic origin, and points out that it is this origin that is the decisive force behind these manifestations.