In absence of questions

Considering that the Puritans were protestants of the old world, it’s not entirely surprising that strange happenings in Salem would be explained by the village doctor to be those of Witchcraft. Although medical knowledge at the time was somewhat limited, the fact that, from a doctor, one who should find themselves more identifiable with science than religion, the absolutism of an explanation based on one’s beliefs is somewhat surprising. While fear of the unknown affliction, and its cause, certainly had impact on the effectiveness of such an explanation, the type of community that existed in Salem, one of arguable sameness and unity, helped a great deal in allowing the ‘bewitching’ answer to take root without much contest. Sociological theories often tend to believe that society requires conflict/criminality/otherness to achieve and/or maintain normal function, and it could be argued that the invention of supernatural forces, while motivated by religious beliefs, served this exact purpose.
The events of Salem always remind me of a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which fits well with the situation as it features a village of faithful subjects identifying and persecuting witches with the most arbitrary methods of reasoning, any explanation becomes a sound explanation when it’s expressed in a vacuum. You’re either with the mob or you’re a witch.

Anyone interested in the subject of witch persecution and the insanity that tends to follow with it, I highly recommend the following podcast episode (and if you’re into crazy history in general, the series):
https://allthingscomedy.com/podcasts/411—witches-of-finnmark-live

Another point that was discussed this week was of the danger of the single story mentality, and for that matter, it’s entirely reflected within both the events we just discussed, and many facets of our everyday lives. Too often we can find ourselves blindly accepting information that is given to us, or unable to alter our views based on new information; we often fail to look for additional viewpoints that corroborate that information, or deliberately ignore that which challenges our existing perspectives. Information, of any type, is not free of the biases of those who create it, nor is it devoid of hidden motivations. While there is often some debate over the semantics of fact/fiction, truth/lies, etc., it should be remembered that even truths or facts can be skewed or presented strategically to better frame a desired outcome. The idea that knowledge is power has reportedly existed since 5th century CE, yet the most popularized literary occurrence is its latin form, scientia est potentia, from Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan, originally published in 1651. The struggle for power is human nature, and if knowledge is power, then information is control. The counter, of course, is wisdom; understanding, recognizing, questioning.

References Used:

Hobbes, T. (2018). Leviathan. Minneapolis: Lerner Publishing Group.
Python Pictures. (1991). Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Burbank, CA :RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video.
Adichie, C. N. (2009, July). The danger of a single story. TED: Ideas worth spreading. https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story/up-next?language=en#t-1107534