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Caliban and the Witch

I just got a copy of Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Federici. I've just begun it, but from the back cover:

Caliban and the Witch is a history of the body in the transition to capitalism. 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. She shows how the battle against the rebel body and the conflict between body and mind are essential conditions for the development of labor power and self-ownership, two central principles of modern social organization.

Federici is a noted Marxist and Feminist scholar. She has also written several articles with George Caffentzis and the Midnight Notes Collective. Thus far it seems to be similar in scope to Carolyn Merchant's book, The Death of Nature.

I'll report back after I'm further into the book.

posted by JWL at 11:08 AM |