Religion vs magic in dealing with problems Essay -- essays research pa

All societies and human beings have a set of beliefs for ordering the world. Religion and magic are belief systems used by many societies. This essay will discuss the function and moral dimensions of both magic and religion, and focus on the need to explore human beliefs and behaviours in the context of the society in which they occur. I will also discuss the way in which magic and religion use various processes to provide psychological reassurance to individuals, leading to the conclusion that both belief systems incorporate equally rational ways of dealing with problems. Religion can be seen as an overarching controlling force in the universe that sustains the moral and social order of the people, serving to validate people’s lives. The main purposes of religion function to set a moral code and sense of community and security, to explain misfortunes in life and most importantly, to help people through crisis and problems, providing hope and faith. There is some evidence of hostility in Western belief systems toward magic, with magic tending to be understood as an erroneous and unreliable belief knowledge system. Some anthropologists believe it is necessary to distinguish between religion and magic, seeing religion as a rational belief system and magic as irrational. Many evolutionist anthropologists maintain the belief that magic and religion equate to different stages of social evolution, holding that ‘the deeper minds may be conceived to have made the great transition from magic to religion’ (Frazer, J 1890). This phrase is misl eading because it suggests that some societies are less complex, rational or primitive than other ‘advanced’ societies, enhancing the common misconception that religion is a more rational way of dealing with problems than magic is. Religion is generally associated with developed cultures and magic is associated with undeveloped, so-called primitive cultures, hence encouraging the idea that magic belongs to superstitious, irrational individuals with limited intellectual abilities. Magic, through various forms including activities and rituals, provides a means to influence the supernatural. It is a way of gaining information about the unknown, and also gives a sense of control over events and happenings of life. Magic, like religion, provides meaning and purpose, reducing uncertainty, effectively counteracting the forces of fe... ... breadth of experience in terms of something fundamental. There is a basic human unwillingness to think of the universe as random†¦For events that have moral dimensions, as unexpected misfortunes do, we often seek moral causes (Bowen, J. 1988:88). Both magic and religion, with differing methods, aim to seek patterns, causes and reasons for things. There is little point distinguishing between magic and religion. They both provide a way of dealing with problems, are rational within the context of society they exist in, and in some cases, coexist in society. Anthropologists should explore what forms of religion and magic mean to people, how they help to make sense of the world and solve problems, and how they give meaning and direction to different forms of human existence (Eriksen 1995:211). References: Bowen, J. R. 1998. Explaining misfortune: witchcraft and sorcery. Chapter 5 of J.R. Bowen Religions in Practice: An Approach to the Anthropology of Religion. Allyn and Bacon. Eriksen, T. H 2001. Small Places, Large Issues: An Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology. London: Pluto Press. Evans-Pritchard, E. E. 1965. Theories of Primitive Religion. Oxford: Clarendon Press.