Caliban and the witch is a concept that was introduced by Silvia Federici in her book of the same name. The book explores the historical development of capitalism and its relationship with patriarchy and the witch hunts that took place in Europe between the 15th and the 18th century. Federici argues that the witch hunts were not simply a side effect of the development of capitalism, but were in fact a necessary and intentional effort to destroy the communal and cooperative relations that existed in pre-capitalist societies. She suggests that women were targeted as witches because they played a central role in maintaining these communal relationships, and were seen as a threat to the emerging capitalist order. According to Federici, the persecution of witches was part of a broader process of primitive accumulation, through which the ruling elites were able to expropriate the land, resources, and labor of the peasantry. By burning women at the stake, the ruling classes were able to instill fear and establish control over the laboring classes, who were now forced to work for wages.
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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. With this wildly ambitious book especially for its relatively slender 240 or so pages , Federici stakes several world-historical claims and tries to stay between three theoretical stools at once, whilst critiquing all three radical feminist, Marxist, and Foucauldian.
By burning women at the stake, the ruling classes were able to instill fear and establish control over the laboring classes, who were now forced to work for wages. The figure of Caliban, from Shakespeare's play The Tempest, is used by Federici as a metaphor for the subjugation and dehumanization of the laboring classes under capitalism. Caliban represents the colonized, enslaved, and demonized Other who is subjected to violence and exploitation by the ruling classes.
Review- Federici, “Caliban and the Witch”
Silvia Federici, “Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body, and Primitive Accumulation” (2004) – The current vogue for the witchy in certain circles wouldn’t be a vogue if I could get into it. This is due both to my being a cis straight (in both the sexual and the comedic sense) man and, more to the point, because if I’m involved, it’s either timeless or just plain not cool anymore, whatever “it” is. But that hasn’t stopped me from reading and enjoying contemporary classic “Caliban and the Witch.” With this wildly ambitious book (especially for its relatively slender 240 or so pages), Federici stakes several world-historical claims and tries to stay between three theoretical stools at once, whilst critiquing all three: radical feminist, Marxist, and Foucauldian.
From the feminists she takes the thesis that the great witch hunts and to a lesser extent heresy-hunting in general was a war against female power. This was aimed at disciplining and rationalizing the human body in certain ways- the slightly quavering Foucauldian note. That note becomes solid when wedded to the Marxist bottomline: that this disciplining of the body and campaign against female power was a critical part of the primitive accumulation process that led to the take-off of capitalism, and that capitalism and the spectacular oppression of women would be impossible without each other. For added bravura, Federici argues this process in ongoing today in parts of the developing world, as IMF-backed enclosure of commons goes hand in hand with febrile paranoia about women’s independence, both from men and the market order.
I think Federici makes a compelling argument. Like a lot of big claims, there are gaps in the story left by scant sources with which she, perforce, worked. For such large-scale violence — hundreds of thousands dead across three continents — the witch hunts are not well-understood history, and both the witch hunt and the heretic hunt (two different, if sometimes converging, things) tended to erase the voices of those they persecuted, leaving only the inquisitors’ words. But Federici makes valuable deductive points: most importantly why, all of a sudden, in the 16th century, did a campaign against witches, eighty percent of them women, start with such vociferousness? Medieval Europe knew heretic hunts, brutal ones, but did not consider witches heretics until surprisingly late, well into the “early modern” period as most understand it. Why this sudden turn on healers and midwives? Most studies are either too broad (citing a vague general cultural madness) or too narrow (citing a vague local cultural madness) to really answer that question. That this coincided with the crises that led to the rise of capitalism seems obvious in retrospect, one of the signs of a good theory.
This book largely relies on secondary sources. Often, these secondary sources are primary-source heavy works of history or anthropology, but they are secondary sources nevertheless. I’d be curious to know what the scholars Federici cites think about her larger thesis. In my experience, medievalists and early-modernists tend to jealously guard their realms from modernists looking to make points and comparisons. They might dispute many of Federici’s claims, and notice how fast and loose she sometimes plays with periodization. Notably, her claim that capitalism arose as a way to suppress challenges to the feudal order that came from the lower classes, heretics, and women is big and seems anachronistic, placing the cultural resistance cart before the capitalism horse. It doesn’t seem to bolster her main arguments that much, either, except to posit an unbroken thread of resistance to power across the centuries, where the story is probably a lot choppier.
In general, though, this is an exhilarating work of scholarship, passionately argued, wide-ranging, and even profusely illustrated with old woodcuts and the like. Between her unstinting (if at times unorthodox) Marxism and her publication with Autonomedia, one could see this work being ignored to death by the academy… but it’s proving popular with non-academics I know. That’s something. *****
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Just as Caliban is suppressed and marginalized by the character of Prospero in the play, so too are the laboring classes oppressed by the ruling elites in capitalist societies. Through the concept of "Caliban and the witch," Federici highlights the intersectionality of class, gender, and race in the development of capitalism. She argues that capitalism is inherently patriarchal and racist, and that the witch hunts were a manifestation of this intersectionality. By understanding the historical roots of capitalism and patriarchy, Federici suggests that we can begin to challenge and dismantle these systems of oppression. Ultimately, Caliban and the witch is a powerful critique of capitalism and a call to action for social justice and liberation. It reminds us of the importance of solidarity, resistance, and the fight for a more equitable and just society..
Reviews for "The implications of Caliban and the witch's relationship on notions of identity"
1. John - 2 stars - I found "Caliban and the Witch" to be a tedious read. The author's repetitive arguments and dense prose made it difficult to follow the main thesis of the book. Additionally, I felt like the author's analysis of the witch hunts in Europe was overly simplistic and lacked nuance. Overall, I was disappointed by this book and would not recommend it to others.
2. Sarah - 1 star - I was highly disappointed with "Caliban and the Witch." The book's main argument that the witch hunts were a form of primitive accumulation felt like a stretch. The author's Marxist analysis seemed forced and failed to take into account the complexities of the time period. The repetitive nature of the writing also made it a chore to get through. I would not recommend this book to anyone interested in a comprehensive study of the witch hunts.
3. Alex - 2 stars - While I appreciate the author's attempt to provide a alternative perspective on the witch hunts, I found "Caliban and the Witch" to be overly theoretical and lacking concrete evidence. The book seemed to rely heavily on conjecture and speculative interpretations rather than solid historical research. I was left wanting more substantial evidence to support the author's arguments. Overall, this book was a disappointment and did not live up to my expectations.
4. Emily - 3 stars - "Caliban and the Witch" had an interesting premise, but I found the execution to be lacking. The author's Marxist perspective overshadowed the historical analysis, and I would have liked to see a more balanced approach. Additionally, the book could have benefited from more engaging writing and a clearer organization of ideas. While there were some interesting insights, I ultimately felt unsatisfied by this book.