Witch Hunts: How Fear & Fallacy Can Reshape Human Perception and Society by Thomas Fech

Salem Witch Trials (1692-1693 CE)

tfech1 — 2024-03-08 05:59:42 UTC

In 1692, a few young girls began having “fits” that included screaming, throwing objects, making peculiar sounds, and contorting their bodies. A local physician blamed the supernatural. Under pressure from colonial officials, the girls claimed that three marginalized women--one elderly, one homeless, and the other enslaved--had afflicted them with dark magic. And so the Inquisition began, leading to over 200 accusations of witchcraft and 20 executions.

What “evidence” was used to support accusations of witchcraft in Salem?

Explain the logical fallacy used to support this evidence.

The Red Scare (1950-1954 CE)

tfech1 — 2024-03-08 06:03:10 UTC

After World War II, a “Red Scare” gripped the United States. It threatened the still rather homogenous nature of a white, male-dominated political system. Some politicians capitalized on fears of communism spreading out of the Soviet Union and China, resulting in the loss of freedoms to an oppressive system of government. One such politician was Senator Joseph McCarthy. The result was a modern-day witch hunt known as "McCarthyism" that put hundreds of U.S. citizens in jail and ruined the lives of thousands.

Identify some similarities between the Red Scare and the Salem Witch Trials.

Identify some differences.

Allegory Extension: "The Drumhead" (2367 CE)

tfech1 — 2024-03-08 06:03:51 UTC

In this allegory from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Captain Picard defends a crewman accused of treason simply due to his family origins. Subsequently, the captain himself is then accused of being a traitor. Watch and see how the captain skillfully defends his position despite further accusations he almost seems to expect.

What do you think is the best way to defend against false accusations?

Introduction

tfech1 — 2024-03-08 06:34:58 UTC

According to Smithsonian Magazine, mass paranoia was at the root of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692-1693. Witch hunts, after all, were nothing new. They had already been happening throughout Europe for centuries. However, with the start of King William's War in 1689--the first intercolonial war between England and France--an influx of displaced settlers from various backgrounds moved into the deeply religious Massachusetts Bay Colony. The situation strained resources and created feelings of contempt between the previously homogenous Puritan colonists and the diverse group of newcomers. It now serves as a dire allegory of how logical fallacies and fear of differences can quickly lead to injustice. It also reminds us that even today, unfortunately, so-called witch hunts and conspiracy theories are part of our shared human experience, and anyone can become a victim.

Choose one of the highlighted words from this text and define it in the comments below.

homogenous
allegory
logical fallacy

Gauge Your Previous Knowledge

tfech1 — 2024-03-08 06:50:23 UTC

Captain Picard's Lesson

tfech1 — 2024-03-08 06:59:09 UTC

"We think we’ve come so far. The torture of heretics and burning of witches are all ancient history. Then, before you can blink an eye, suddenly it threatens to start all over again....

Villains who twirl their mustaches are easy to spot, but those who clothe themselves in good deeds are well camouflaged... spreading fear in the name of righteousness.

Vigilance… that is the price we have to continually pay."

It's easy to know what to say when you are an actor following a script, but what can we do as vigilant citizens to protect ourselves and others from fear & fallacy?

With this wisdom, explain how the Salem Witch Trials might have turned out differently.

How else might we apply these lessons to our lives today?

Logical Fallacy Extension: Appeal to Ignorance

tfech1 — 2024-03-08 17:06:20 UTC

Read Hermione's quote from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Then, explain this logical fallacy in your own words.

Extension: The Homogenous States of America

tfech1 — 2024-03-08 17:56:39 UTC

According to Pew Research Center, women currently comprise 29% of the House of Representatives and 25% of the Senate, which is still well below a proper representation of national demographics.

Examine the chart and estimate the percentage of women in Congress around 1950.

What do these statistics reveal about the homogenous nature of American politics now and then?

How may they have impacted the decisions made by Congress in that time?

Consider that in 1950:

The House had 435 representatives and 0 non-voting delegates, rather than today's combined total of 440.
There were only 48 states, making 96 senators instead of today's 100.

Allegorical Literature: The Crucible (1953 CE)

tfech1 — 2024-03-08 17:57:39 UTC

At the height of the Red Scare in 1953, playwright Arthur Miller fictionalized the story of the Salem Witch Trials as an allegory for McCarthyism. A 1957 New York Times article reported that the House Committee on Un-American Activities questioned Miller for communist associations and charged him for contempt of Congress for refusing to implicate others. This happened despite the death of Senator McCarthy four weeks earlier, showing how prejudice lives on after death, and fear & fallacy are timeless.

Why do you think Arthur Miller was initially suspected of having ties to communism?