naa a22 4500 510774067 CHVBK 20180411083224.0 cr unu---uuuuu 180411e20130601xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s12110-013-9164-1 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s12110-013-9164-1 Koning Niek Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8130, 6700 EW, Wageningen, The Netherlands aut Witchcraft Beliefs and Witch Hunts [Elektronische Daten] An Interdisciplinary Explanation [Niek Koning] This paper proposes an interdisciplinary explanation of the cross-cultural similarities and evolutionary patterns of witchcraft beliefs. It argues that human social dilemmas have led to the evolution of a fear system that is sensitive to signs of deceit and envy. This was adapted in the evolutionary environment of small foraging bands but became overstimulated by the consequences of the Agricultural Revolution, leading to witch paranoia. State formation, civilization, and economic development abated the fear of witches and replaced it in part with more collectivist forms of social paranoia. However, demographic-economic crises could rekindle fear of witches—resulting, for example, in the witch craze of early modern Europe. The Industrial Revolution broke the Malthusian shackles, but modern economic growth requires agricultural development as a starting point. In sub-Saharan Africa, witch paranoia has resurged because the conditions for agricultural development are lacking, leading to fighting for opportunities and an erosion of intergenerational reciprocity. Springer Science+Business Media New York, 2013 Witchcraft nationallicence Collective paranoia nationallicence Evolutionary discordance nationallicence Economic development nationallicence Malthusian cycles nationallicence African crisis nationallicence Human Nature Springer US; http://www.springer-ny.com 24/2(2013-06-01), 158-181 1045-6767 24:2<158 2013 24 12110 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-013-9164-1 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-013-9164-1 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 100 1- Koning Niek Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8130, 6700 EW, Wageningen, The Netherlands aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Human Nature Springer US; http://www.springer-ny.com 24/2(2013-06-01), 158-181 1045-6767 24:2<158 2013 24 12110 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer