Full Description
The primitive mind does not differentiate the supernatural from reality, but rather uses "mystical participation" to manipulate the world. According to Bruhl, moreover, the primitive mind doesn't address contradictions. The modern mind, by contrast, uses reflection and logic. Bruhl believed in a historical and evolutionary teleology leading from the primitive mind to the modern mind.
Contents
1. The primitive's indifference to secondary causes 2. Mystic and invisible forces 3. Dreams 4. Omens 5. Omens (continued) 6. The practices of divination 7. The practices of divination (continued) 8. Ordeals 9. The mystic meaning of accidents and misfortunes 10. The mystic meaning of the causes of sucess 11. The mystic meaning of the white man's appearance and of the things he brings with them. 12. The primitive's dislike of the unknown. 13. The primitive's attitude to the European remedies 14. Conclusion.
