In November of 1965, a band named The Lovin’ Spoonful asked us to reflect, “Do You Believe in Magic?” Modern times would tell us no, magic is merely a myth, but between historical analysis and Jason A. Josephson-Storm’s 2017 book, The Myth of Disenchantment: Magic, Modernity, and the Birth of Human Sciences, I’m betting statistically the answer is “kinda … maybe … just a little bit.” How did we get to that point, when in ages past we had tales of gods, fairies, and mages?
In The Myth of Disenchantment, Josephson-Storm takes us on a well researched and sourced-to-the-teeth journey across the globe and over time to explain the process. His whole motive? To show that, despite the perceived changes of progress, the feeling of enchantment is alive and well, and reports of the death of magic have been greatly exaggerated.
Some enchanted evening
If we’re meant to be disenchanted, what does enchantment actually mean? According to Josephson-Storm, it lies in a vast array of … things. Shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer pay homage to the supernatural, and therefore celebrate enchantment. Belief in ghosts and reincarnation? Enchantment. God, gods, and religion? Falls under the “enchanted umbrella.” Crystal healing, aliens, and superstition count, too.
The line is very blurry in between all of these things, which is one of the most interesting aspects of The Myth of Disenchantment. Josephson-Storm himself was, at the time of publishing this book, Chair of the Department of Religion at Williams College (currently listed as “Francis Christopher Oakley Third Century Professor of Religion, Chair of Science & Technology Studies” on his biographical page). He’s obviously knowledgeable and writes very keenly, so even with the soft blending of the religious and the supernatural, Josephson-Storm is capable of covering all the nuances and exploring the ranges of each at length.
Much ado about Max Weber
We’ve looked at enchantment but what is “modernity” relative to enchantment? How do we we know when we are in a modern or a post-modern era? Don’t worry, this topic is discussed broadly, and though quizzically chaotic and fuzzy around the edges like the previous definition for enchantment, Josephson-Storm is able to pinpoint some markers for the changing of the times. The rises of industry, capitalism, and bureaucracy play a big role in defining the age of modernity, and the disenfranchisement of magic and mystery. With these leaps forward, we began the early steps toward the human sciences, and thus began the decrying that magic in all its forms was dead. Right?
Over the course of The Myth of Disenchantment, Josephson-Storm reveals that the most well-known thinkers, intellectuals, and scientists (Marie Curie to Friedrich Nietzsche), who are often used as a means to discredit the idea of an enchanted world, were also dabbling in the mystical and esoteric. Some were knowingly peddling the idea that the world was lackluster and grim, while partaking in growing the spiritual, supernatural, and religious communities.
This led to the early beginnings of psychology, sociology, and folklorism, with insights to anthropology, religious studies, and politics. All the major characters from Sigmund Freud to philosopher of science Otto Neurath (and a whole lot on sociologist Max Weber) are at play in The Myth of Disenchantment, and Josephson-Storm does a great job showing that what we think we know about the downfall of a magical world may not actually be so.
Enchantment is not dead
What’s the verdict? Just look around you. The “God is ^Not^ Dead” groups exist in force, there are tarot readers on YouTube, and you still swear that you saw that ghost. Josephson-Storm’s whole argument in The Myth of Disenchantment is this: disenchantment is a lie and a myth — and a vehicle for its own continuous staying power.
The underlying theory is much like psychologist Daniel Wegner’s Ironic Process Theory (IPT, aka the “Pink Elephant Paradox”), in that adding anything to the discourse about magic or the lack thereof (even this book) only promotes and exposes the existence of an enchanted world. It lingers in psychic shops on street corners, that witchy friend we all have, and even with the Monks in Tibet.
Is it good?
This book is DENSE. It reads like a textbook for intellectuals only (a club I wasn’t invited to). I stumbled over it for weeks, despite some great resources provided by Josephson-Storm to help get you through. The Myth of Disenchantment is one of the hardest reads I’ve ever experienced. It’s not just the intellectual jargon that made this book so challenging, but it’s delivered in a dry and flavorless, fast-paced manner.
Don’t get it misconstrued, a plethora of weird history that could be extremely interesting is there, but everything feels overly intense. There are so many names, sources, in-text references, and callbacks that I was constantly distracted. I thought it might be easier with audiobook, but that was actually worse. The amount of foreign language, albeit beautifully pronounced, sent my mind into complete leave of focus.
I wanted to love The Myth of Disenchantment because the subject matter is perfectly up my alley, but to be honest, it’s just too much. Yes, there’s great information here, it’s sourced incredibly well, and I love how deep it digs into history, but I think the people who would benefit the most will be unable to access the information. The ones who can have likely seen much of this information in coursework and research already.
All that said, I would recommend it as college course material. It’s got some of the best references you could hope to find, which could benefit students and researchers deeply. While I can absolutely appreciate the work and effort put into The Myth of Disenchantment, I don’t necessarily agree nor disagree with Josephson-Storm about the current state of enchantment. Although maybe he IS onto something, as now I can find a bit more magic in some much lighter reading.
AIPT Science is co-presented by AIPT and the New York City Skeptics.
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