Economic and social changes also influenced attitudes towards magic from "summary" of Religion and the Decline of Magic by Keith Thomas
The transformation of economic and social structures during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries had a profound impact on the prevailing attitudes towards magic. The emergence of a capitalist economy and the dissolution of traditional social hierarchies disrupted the medieval worldview that had long accommodated magical beliefs and practices. As financial transactions became more complex and trade expanded both domestically and internationally, people began to place greater emphasis on rational calculation and empirical observation, relegating magical thinking to the realm of superstition and ignorance. Moreover, the rise of Protestantism challenged the authority of the Catholic Church and its monopoly on spiritual matters. Protestant reformers rejected many of the sacraments and rituals that had been central to Catholic worship, including the veneration of saints and relics, which were often associated with magical powers. This rejection of Catholic magical practices contributed to a broader skepticism towards supernatural beliefs and a growing preference for a more individualized, personal relationship with God. At the same time, the development of scientific knowledge and the spread of literacy enabled people to access alternative explanations for natural phenomena that had previously been attributed to magical forces. The works of early modern scientists, such as Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler, challenged traditional cosmological beliefs and provided a new framework for understanding the workings of the universe based on reason and observation rather than divine intervention or occult forces. As economic, social, religious, and intellectual forces converged to reshape the cultural landscape of early modern Europe, attitudes towards magic underwent a significant transformation. The decline of feudalism, the spread of Protestantism, the rise of scientific inquiry, and the expansion of trade and commerce all contributed to a growing skepticism towards magical beliefs and practices. This shift in perspective marked a decisive break with the magical worldview of the medieval era and set the stage for the secular, rationalistic outlook that would come to dominate Western thought in the centuries that followed.
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