Is there a difference between magic & technology/science?

Question

It is only recently that most of us can live our entire lives by not having to make anything for ourselves. Our ancestors only a few generations removed (depending where you live of course) had to make their own clothes, tools and anything else they needed.

They witnessed the transformation of raw material into items of use or value. In example: plant-fibre-yarn-cloth or orestone-metal-tool. If you had no knowledge on how this process worked, would it not seem like magic to you? This is why I believe there are superstitions in Russia about spinning yarn, why within Siberian nomadic cultures the smith is regarded closer to a shaman, if they are not the shaman themselves, or why in some cultures in northern Africa it is the blacksmith that does the circumcition.

So now that everything is delivered to us by money. How many of you can tell how your clothes where made or the cutlery on your table was produced? Do you called it magic or technology or science?

I am still waiting for someone to get the point :)

Leowyn came close. Take your modern goggles of and look at the question again from another viewpoint.

Brian w: I ran out of space :) There is a reason why this question is posted on the anthropology section. Look back in time far enough, before the internet and books, you will find that gaining knowledge happened in two ways, either you where taught or you figured it out yourself. In both cases you had access to knowledge that others did not have. You could be smart enough to exploit it for power in your society. Ie. if you where the only one in the community who knew how to make a iron spearhead, you could trade it for gold. If everyone in the community learned the same skill you would lose your special status in your community. A magic trick is not magic anymore when everybody knows the trick. The alchemists where the last magicians and the first scientists. This makes me regard most science the same way as I regard magic (each one of you reading seems to interpret this word differently).

Answer 1

Here's one way of looking at things. Throughout human history, the difference between magic and technology has simply been a matter of social class.

Take the ancient Maya, for example, or the Teotihuacans. A ceramic merchant, who made his own wares for sale, works down in the plaza. He gets his raw materials, combines them, and makes his pottery. The Head Priest of the city works up on the top of the temple. He does a variety of things - ingesting mind altering chemicals, inflicting ritual pain on himself, sacrificing people, among other things - so that the sun will come up, and the world will continue to have order and make sense. He is the equivalent of what we'd call a wizard.

Now you can take a look at both of these people and see two different activities. You can go to the ceramic salesman and see technology at work. You can say "I see how that works." On the other hand, you can go to the priest and say, "The sun doesn't come up because of you. It'll come up anyway." The priest, of course, will deny that. He makes the sun come up. But if you ask the people down on the plaze, they're likely to agree. "Hey, our priest makes the sun come up and he keeps the gods happy. Leave him alone, jerk." Something like that.

In many cases, if you take off your AGE OF REASON goggles and just take a look at what was going on for what it really was, you see that the ceramic salesman and the priest aren't doing anything that's all that different. They both preform specialized activities that keep the social order going. The simple fact of the matter is that there aren't many more people who can make great pottery than there are who can make the sun come up. It's not surprising that skilled laborers or tradesmen might rise to positions of high power, especially in societies with low populations. It's not surprising either that the term "power" might take on different meanings, that it might seem like the really great ceramic craftsmen do it by magic. This isn't actually all that different from how we look at very skilled people today. Look at all the legend-quality stories that already exist about guys like Einstein.

It's also important to not forget that even 100 years ago, even 1000 years ago, there were people who did not work for their resources and possessions. Ring a bell and have a servant bring you your food, your clothes, your rifle, whatever. I doubt the French aristocracy was well acquainted with the vagaries of ore refinery.

Answer 2

just because I dont know how something happens or in this case is produced doesnt mean that it would seem like magic to me. the reason being, all i would have to do is look it up on the internet or turn to books if i really want to find out. so i would call it science/technology.

and where do u just suddenly draw the connection between

not knowing a process = magic ? magic is an illusion. be more clear on what you're trying to ask. the whole question is just really unclear and strange lol

seems like you may have a interesting point to make, but you need to provide more information so people can answer your question better and not be so abstract.

Answer 3

The difference is in how strong your political backing is. With good PR and support from the ruling groups, you have a miracle. Anything else is magic and its the ducking stool for you my dear. While converting the Irish Celts, for instance, most Christian missionaries would ascribe all kinds of magical powers to saints and the holy spirit. When the Irish church was subjugated by the Roman one these became viewed as superstitious magical nonsense and only the Roman Catholic miracles were allowed. The irony is both were made up.

Answer 4

I like this question and often wonder what people would think if you could go back to an ancient time with gadgets of today like a watch, camera, Ipods or a simple box of matches.

Of course, natives often thought the missionaries were of "magic" powers when they introduced "foriegn" objects to their world for the first time. They saw them as Gods because only Gods could produce "Magic".

Answer 5

Its all a matter of perception; the operation of a cell phone would seem "magic" to a primitive culture.
A blacksmith could also be considered a magician because he takes a raw clump of iron and molds it into useful tools or household items with nothing but heat and a hammer and anvil. (Its awe inspiring to watch a professional work even when you know the physics behind it.)
And blacksmiths perform the circumcisions because they make the tools.

Answer 6

Magic is creating an illusion .It does not create or destroy anything.Ordinary people cannot copy and produce identical effect.Science /technology is real.You can repeat and produce same result.Any body can burn hydrogen and oxygen and produce water.
Money doesnot create anything.It is a medium of exchange.You work ,earn money and exchange money for goods and services.Some body has to produce goods and services you can buy.This involves making or manfacture.There is no magfic.
Marxists call this as labour theory of value.There is no magic,absence of knowledge is magic.,if you donot know you call it magic.

Answer 7

***MAGIC*** for all the under 10 year olds...

for the rest - go read some books and figure it out.
why are you wasting time at school if you haven't answered this question to yourself already...

Answer 8

Magic is deception and deceit, which is why all the great illusionists were jewish! This is their specialty,and they exceed themselves when they practice it! Science is factual and straightforward. This is also why jews never make good scientists, because they are too busy stealing other peoples discoveries and life's work!

Answer 9

Magic is about misrepresentation and entertainment...

Science is about understanding how things work in repeatable demonstrations....

Answer 10

one is fiction the latter is fact.