The Philosophy of Witchcraft. Truth and Fiction in Stories of Demonic Possession

We present to our readers the book by John Mitchell and John Dickie, “The Philosophy of Witchcraft,” in which they meticulously study the phenomenon of European witchcraft from the 16th to the 19th centuries within the framework of researching the evolution of the human mind. In addition to well-known stories, the authors provide lesser-known cases that give readers just as much food for thought on the given topics. Considering that the value of the research depends largely on the authenticity of the facts underlying the conclusions, the authors found it appropriate to attach documents to their text to lend weight to their comments. On its pages, it examines not only cases of witchcraft and demonic possession but also the mythology of the British Isles, as well as phenomena such as clairvoyance, the evil eye, poltergeists and telekinesis.