Superstition: A Very Short Introduction
Stuart Vyse
Published:
2020
Online ISBN:
9780191859854
Print ISBN:
9780198819257
Contents
- < Previous chapter
- Next chapter >
Superstition: A Very Short Introduction
Stuart Vyse
Chapter
Get access
Stuart Vyse
-
Published:
January 2020
- Annotate
Cite Icon Cite
Cite
Vyse, Stuart, 'Superstition in the modern world', Superstition: A Very Short Introduction, Very Short Introductions (
Close
Search
Close
Search
Advanced Search
Search Menu
Abstract
After the years of rapid scientific progress that followed the Enlightenment, the label ‘superstitious’, with rare exceptions, was now applied to unscientific beliefs that defied reason. Despite the growing dominance of scientific reasoning, superstition, pseudoscience, and magical thinking did not go away. ‘Superstitions in the modern world’ first considers 19th-century spiritualism, a social movement that kept supernatural beliefs alive before science became a more mature enterprise. It then turns to the kinds of popular superstitions that survive today from lucky and unlucky numbers and colours to certain objects and behaviours and discusses their origins. It also looks at some more elaborate systems of superstition.
Keywords: Susan B. Anthony, Joan Blondell, William Lloyd Garrison, Harry Houdini, Last Supper, Mary Todd Lincoln, Horatio Nelson, Pliny the Elder, Benjamin Rush, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Beecher Stowe
Subject
Customs and Traditions History Popular Beliefs and Controversial Knowledge
Series
Very Short Introductions
Collection: Very Short Introductions
You do not currently have access to this chapter.
Sign in
Get help with access
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Sign in Register
Institutional access
- Sign in with a library card
- Sign in with username/password
- Recommend to your librarian
Sign in through your institution
Sign in through your institution
Institutional account management
Sign in as administrator
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
- Click Sign in through your institution.
- Select your institution from the list provided, which will take you to your institution's website to sign in.
- When on the institution site, please use the credentials provided by your institution. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
- Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
- Click Sign in through society site.
- When on the society site, please use the credentials provided by that society. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
- Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
- View your signed in personal account and access account management features.
- View the institutional accounts that are providing access.
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing information
Metrics
Metrics
Total Views 187
187 Pageviews
0 PDF Downloads
Since 10/1/2022
| Month: | Total Views: |
|---|---|
| October 2022 | 16 |
| November 2022 | 7 |
| December 2022 | 6 |
| January 2023 | 15 |
| February 2023 | 16 |
| March 2023 | 15 |
| April 2023 | 4 |
| May 2023 | 3 |
| June 2023 | 4 |
| July 2023 | 3 |
| August 2023 | 21 |
| September 2023 | 9 |
| October 2023 | 10 |
| November 2023 | 10 |
| December 2023 | 6 |
| January 2024 | 9 |
| February 2024 | 5 |
| March 2024 | 14 |
| April 2024 | 6 |
| May 2024 | 4 |
| June 2024 | 4 |
Citations
Powered by Dimensions
Altmetrics
Related content
Taking slavery apart inAmerican Slavery: A Very Short Introduction
1850–1865: Slavery and Civil War inAmerican History: A Very Short Introduction
Epilogue: Abolitionist endings in the Atlantic world … and new beginnings inAbolitionism: A Very Short Introduction
Freedom’s ferment, 1750–1848 inAmerican Women's History: A Very Short Introduction
More from Oxford Academic
Arts and Humanities
Customs and Traditions
History
Popular Beliefs and Controversial Knowledge
Society and Culture
Books
Journals
