The witch-hunts, for most of us, are a bizarre and irrational episode that took place in 16th and 17th century Europe and the so-called “New World”. They frequently leave us either scratching our heads in bewilderment or reminding ourselves of the dangers of unchecked religiosity. But for radical scholar Silvia Federici, the witch-hunts cannot be separated from the dawn of capitalism and the oppression of women. She argues that witch-hunts continue to this day, fueled by the societal dislocations of neoliberalism.
Resources:
Silvia Federici, Witches, Witch-Hunting, and Women PM Press, 2018
Silvia Federici, Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation Autonomedia, 2004