It is permissible, then, with Sir James Frazer, to call magic a pseudo-science if the limitations of the term be borne in mind. Magic is akin to primitive science in that it exists to serve very definite, often similar ends, and is possessed of a theory, a sys tem of principles which dictates the manner in which the ritual must be performed. Like science, it has developed a special tech nique which is handed down from one generation to another. But these resemblances are little more than superficial; the difference is fundamental. Science, even as represented by the rudimentary equipment of the savage, is based on experience, is open to cor rection by observation and experiment, is ever marked by the thirst for further knowledge and the attempt at a more exact classification and description, a more careful elucidation of the general principles governing the behaviour of the material world. Magic, on the other hand, is governed by tradition, is largely impervious to the lessons of observation, and shows no desire to make profit by experiment. The underlying mental attitude is one of implicit faith, based upon emotional rather than upon ra tional experience. It is clear, then, that the real roots of science are to be found, not in the magic art of primitive man, but in his rudimentary store of knowledge and his attempts at rational enquiry, stimulated by the practical needs of his technology, into the nature of his physical environment.
(5.) The Continuity of Belief.—It is not difficult to see the hollowness of the pretensions on which magic bases its claim to power. The sky will not really give f orth thunder and rain in reply to sympathetic rites, animals do not obligingly come to the hunter through a muttered spell, nor can that more coy game, woman, be ensnared by the waving of a wand. Why, then, is not the fallacy of this hocus-pocus exposed, and "the whole monstrous farrago," as Tylor called it, discarded as futile? The answer usually advanced is that the false ritual of magic does not exist entirely in its own strength, but associated with it are elements of medical skill or political craft of the practitioner, which sus tain its reputation when in need. Again, success is bound to come in a large proportion of cases by the mere laws of chance, aided by the shrewdness of the magician in selecting the opportune moment for the exercise of his art. This is helped by the general
inability of the human mind to appreciate negative evidence when strong forces of belief are entrenched on the side of an established institution. One success counts more in retrospect than a dozen failures. More important still is what Dr. Malinowski has termed "the current mythology of magic," that is, the stories of prowess which tend to circulate round every magician of influence, exag gerated tales of wonderful cures, of game attracted, of lovers united, of enemies slain by the craft of his spells. These stories reach back into the mists of antiquity, forming a body of in stances which can be drawn upon at any moment to vouch for the efficacy of the art. This halo of myth, of magical miracle, is the strength of the belief in magic, its buckler against the assaults of rational experience. The real basis for the continuity of magic, however, lies even deeper in the sphere of its cultural utility.
(6.) The Value of Magic to Man.—Magic is not merely a vain replica of science. Despite the fallacy of its premises and the illusory nature of its claims it possesses a real validity in human life. The magical rites performed in agriculture, for instance, are of undoubted efficacy to the native. By proceeding step by step in close contact with the actual stages of the work, of which it regulates the times and seasons, by imposing taboos, by investing the task with serious import and a supernatural sanction, the magic reinforces order and punctuality within the industry, and acts as a very valuable factor of organization, wielded as it usually is by the expert who has charge of the practical arrangements. Again, the magical ritual enters at the point where man's knowledge and foresight begin to fail, where chance, luck and the incalculable elements of nature begin, where reliance on rational technique can no longer avail. By providing him with a firm belief in his own powers, by promising him control, illusory though it may be, over these all important factors of success, it gives man that much needed psychological backing of confidence and assurance which is so essential to the accomplishment of his desire.