Caliban and the WitchLiterary Nonfiction. CALIBAN AND THE WITCH is a history of the body in the transition to capitalism. Moving from the peasant revolts of the late Middle Ages to the witch-hunts and the rise of mechanical philosophy, Federici investigates the capitalist rationalization of social reproduction. She shows how the battle against the rebel body and the conflict between body and mind are essential conditions for the development of labor power and self-ownership, two central principles of modern social organization. It is both a passionate work of memory recovered and a hammer of humanity's agenda.--Peter Linebaugh, author of The London Hanged |
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User Review - greeniezona - LibraryThingA fascinating book I may never have heard of except for the brief experiment that was Bitches with Bookmarks (an attempted online book club). This was our second (and probably last) book. Anyway, it's ... Read full review
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This book changed my way of thinking about so many things. A must read for anyone interested in the history of capitalism, anyone who has doubts that capitalism had naturally occurring and benevolent beginnings. Thoroughly researched and densely packed with intersectional connections. I love this book and keep coming back to it year after year.
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Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation Silvia Federici No preview available - 2021 |
Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation Silvia Federici No preview available - 2021 |
Common terms and phrases
17th century accumulation accused American animals appeared attack attempt authorities became become began beginning belief body Cambridge capitalism capitalist century charge Church colonial common concept considered continued crimes crisis death described devil division early economic England English Europe European existence exploitation fact fear female feminist feudal forced forms France French German hands heretics human important increased individual Italy labor land late later less living magical male masters means mechanical medieval Middle Ages misogyny movement nature organization peasants period persecution political poor popular population practice present privatization production proletarian prostitute punished reason relations reproduction resistance revolt rise ruling sexual slaves social society struggle subjected tion took trials turned University Press village wage witch-hunt witchcraft witches woman women workers writes York
Popular passages
Page 133 - For what is the heart but a spring, and the nerves but so many strings, and the joints but so many wheels giving motion to the whole body such as was intended by the artificer?
Page 153 - With bolts of Bones, that fetter'd stands In Feet; and manacled in Hands. Here blinded with an Eye; and there Deaf with the drumming of an Ear. A Soul hung up, as 'twere, in Chains Of Nerves, and Arteries, and Veins. Tortur'd, besides each other part, In a vain Head, and double Heart.
Page 135 - ... in his work, therefore, he does not affirm himself but denies himself, does not feel content but unhappy, does not develop freely his physical and mental energy but mortifies his body and ruins his mind. The worker therefore only feels himself outside his work, and in his work feels outside himself. He is at home when he is not working, and when he is working he is not at home.
Page 163 - With a more riotous appetite. Down from the waist they are centaurs, though women all above : but to the girdle do the gods inherit, beneath is all the fiends' ; there's hell, there's darkness, there is the sulphurous pit, burning, scalding, stench, consumption.
Page 63 - The discovery of gold and silver in America, the extirpation, enslavement, and entombment in mines of the aboriginal population, the beginning of the conquest and looting of the East Indies, the turning of Africa into a warren for the commercial hunting of black-skins, signalised the rosy dawn of the era of capitalist production.
Page 150 - justice," "equity," "modesty," "mercy" and, in sum, "doing to others as we would be done to," of themselves, without the terror of some power to cause them to be observed, are contrary to our natural passions, that carry us to partiality, pride, revenge, and the like.
Page 56 - Ah, ye good people, the matters goeth not well to pass in England, nor shall not do till everything be common, and that there be no villains nor gentlemen, but that we may be all united together, and that the lords be no greater masters than we be. What have we deserved, or why should we be kept thus in servage? We be all come from one father and one mother, Adam and Eve...
Page 26 - At the beginning of fallowing and second fallowing and of sowing let the bailiff, and the messer, or the provost, be all the time with the ploughmen, to see that they do their work well and thoroughly, and at the end of the day see how much they have done, and for so much shall they answer each day after unless they can show a sure hindrance. And because customary servants neglect their work it is necessary to guard against their fraud...
Bibliographic information
| Title | Caliban and the Witch |
| Author | Silvia Federici |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Autonomedia, 2004 |
| ISBN | 1570270597, 9781570270598 |
| Length | 285 pages |
| Subjects | › Social Science / Women's Studies |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |