The Contemporary Phase of Magical “Practice-knowledge”: Focusing on the Relationship between Magical and Other Kinds of “Practice-knowledge”

Keywords

magic, practice-knowledge, modern practice-knowledge

Objectives

Various types of “practice-knowledge” constitute the contemporary world (“practice-knowledge” is a makeshift term used here to indicate the comprehensive concept of actions involving the senses, knowledge and beliefs). This study aims to clarify the relationship between magical “practice-knowledge” and other types of “practice-knowledge”, namely science, religion, hospital medical care, school education, and media representation, to highlight the particularity (peculiarity) and universality (commonality with other types of “practice-knowledge”) of magical “practice-knowledge” in the contemporary world.
The study draws on Minpaku’s preceding joint research study, “Understanding Magic: The Interrelationship between Knowledge and Practice” (2007-2009, led by Chihiro Shirakawa), and the corresponding publication “Anthropology of Magic” (2012, edited by Shirakawa and Kawada, Jimbun, Shoin). The present study extends the basic framework of “language/practice” introduced in the previous study to the theoretical dimensions of “believing”, “knowing”, “acting”, and “feeling”. It does this by incorporating specific concepts, such as relationships with religions, worldviews, systems, and senses, as interfaces for interacting with the world. In this way, the study group aims to revitalize contemporary practice theory and knowledge theory from the viewpoint of magic theory.

Research Results

A former modernity theory of magic shed light on an aspect of modernity as something that “breeds magic.” This study had the overriding objective of approaching the subject of modernity from another angle, and on that basis elucidating how magical practice-knowledge shapes our lives. With this study theme so defined, project members developed a series of theories aimed at explaining the relationships between magic and their respective fields of specialization, including the sciences, religion, modern (Western) medicine, law, and media representation, and deepened their discussion of the particularity (peculiarity) and universality (commonality with other forms of practice-knowledge) of magic in the modern world. At the outset, we defined the issues for consideration with attention to the theoretical dimensions of “believing,” “knowing,” “doing,” and “feeling,” and interpreted examples of magic within contemporary settings that involve knowledge and action as tangible forms of practice-knowledge that people exhibit when identifying and accepting a situation or acting appropriately in response to it. We then pursued an in-depth ethnographic study of these factors for our research presentation. Specifically, during the latter half of the research phase, we focused on the subjects of sensory perception and materiality and engaged in an intensive discussion of the causal relationships extending through a chain of material actions and the sensory experiences (for individuals and to some extent society in general) that accompany the acceptance of the materiality of physical materials as things with reality. We were then able to pursue an inquiry into how science and various other forms of modern practice-knowledge overlap and contrast with magic.
　
For the presentation of our research findings, we explored two objectives, as follows, taking the above-described considerations into account. The first was to ethnographically describe the modalities through which various forms of practice-knowledge and magic in the modern world actually coexist or form antagonistic relationships. The second objective was to pursue discussions focused specifically on sensory perception and materiality and develop an analytical perspective on the materiality aspects of those visual and palpable forms of sensory experience that support the acceptance or understanding of magic. Drawing from these discussions, we then investigated the status or role of magic in the modern world as well as its distinct and general features.