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Witches, Feminism, and the Fall of the West
The archetype of the "witch" is burnt deep into the European psyche, recurring again and again in folklore and fairytales. But is she merely the stuff of fantasy? Roald Dahl warned that witches don't always don black hats and ride on broom sticks. They "dress in ordinary clothes, and look very much like ordinary women. . . . That is why they are so hard to catch." In Witches, Feminism and the Fall of the West , Edward Dutton examines the history of witches and witch-hunting in light of evolutionary psychology. Throughout the centuries, witches were ostracized across Europe and often condemned and executed for sorcery and harming children. They generally adhered to a witches were low-status, anti-social, and childless, and their very presence was viewed as poisonous to the community. Dutton demonstrates that witches did, in their way, represent a maladaptive mentality and behavior, which undermined Europe's patriarchal system. When times got tough-that is, when Europe got poorer or colder-the witches were persecuted with a vengeance. Today, the evolutionary situation has been turned on its head. The intense selection pressures of the past have been overcome by the Industrial Revolution and its technological marvels. Modern witches survive and thrive in the postmodern West, still possessed by the motivations and dispositions of their sisters of yore. "Sorcery" (nihilism and self-hatred) is no longer taboo but has become a high-status ideology. Roald Dahl was all-too correct. Witches do exist, and they mean to do us harm.
252 pages, Paperback
First published August 19, 2021
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358 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 11, 2022
"REAL WITCHES dress in ordinary clothes, and look very much like ordinary women" Roald Dahl.
I've been following Ed Dutton 'The Jolly Heretic' for over 3 years on YouTube and more recently on Odysee. He's a revelation and even more importantly entertaining in a way only English eccentrics can be. He's in a sense a continuation from Jordan Peterson who came to light following bizarre transgender legislation in Canada. Peterson exhorted us (young men especially) to clean our room. He failed to follow his own advice and ended up addicted to benzos and admitted himself to a Russian rehabilitation facility. All very strange.
Dutton is better, more solid and consistent. In essence he's basically been saying the same thing over and over again in his broadcasts and books since day one. Not to discourage you from buying his books but if you've read one, you've sort of read them all. But there is a clarity in repetition. His theories hold up.
To sum up a few of the main ones.
Infant mortality has collapsed and fertility is now maladaptive.
Strong positive and negative ethnocentrism are necessary for a healthy society and this has reversed in the West.
Spiteful anti-social destructive behaviour such as radical feminism is now in the ascendant whereas in healthy societies these individuals are shunned or killed.
Patriarchal societies thrive as they are adaptive. Matriarchal are maladaptive
Religion is prosocial. Atheism is anti-social.
He marries this with his theory that modern day feminists are just basically witches of old. He puts forward very convincing evidence to back this up.
He examines the witch craze primarily in Great Britain. Some of the examples are horrific. Scotland burned 8000 witches which confirms my own theory that Scotland was always the most vicious part of the union. Another appalling episode in East Anglia where while burning a pregnant witch at the stake the baby popped out. They threw the baby back into the fire reasoning it was the spawn of the devil. Doesn't bear thinking about.
It's a very well researched and cited work. Dutton is very diligent. His use of the English language is refreshing and informative, i.e aver instead of assert nocebo the antonym of placebo.
There was a vicious attempt to cancel him by a feminist professor acolyte of Angela Saini after he posted a negative review of her book so he knows to cross the t's and dot the i's.
It has its flaws of course. He brushes over the Flynn Effect and doesn't really address the enormous economic progress over the last 20 odd years but that's perhaps for another day.
It's dissident stuff for sure but there is much to recommend exposing yourself to heresy.
I've been following Ed Dutton 'The Jolly Heretic' for over 3 years on YouTube and more recently on Odysee. He's a revelation and even more importantly entertaining in a way only English eccentrics can be. He's in a sense a continuation from Jordan Peterson who came to light following bizarre transgender legislation in Canada. Peterson exhorted us (young men especially) to clean our room. He failed to follow his own advice and ended up addicted to benzos and admitted himself to a Russian rehabilitation facility. All very strange.
Dutton is better, more solid and consistent. In essence he's basically been saying the same thing over and over again in his broadcasts and books since day one. Not to discourage you from buying his books but if you've read one, you've sort of read them all. But there is a clarity in repetition. His theories hold up.
To sum up a few of the main ones.
Infant mortality has collapsed and fertility is now maladaptive.
Strong positive and negative ethnocentrism are necessary for a healthy society and this has reversed in the West.
Spiteful anti-social destructive behaviour such as radical feminism is now in the ascendant whereas in healthy societies these individuals are shunned or killed.
Patriarchal societies thrive as they are adaptive. Matriarchal are maladaptive
Religion is prosocial. Atheism is anti-social.
He marries this with his theory that modern day feminists are just basically witches of old. He puts forward very convincing evidence to back this up.
He examines the witch craze primarily in Great Britain. Some of the examples are horrific. Scotland burned 8000 witches which confirms my own theory that Scotland was always the most vicious part of the union. Another appalling episode in East Anglia where while burning a pregnant witch at the stake the baby popped out. They threw the baby back into the fire reasoning it was the spawn of the devil. Doesn't bear thinking about.
It's a very well researched and cited work. Dutton is very diligent. His use of the English language is refreshing and informative, i.e aver instead of assert nocebo the antonym of placebo.
There was a vicious attempt to cancel him by a feminist professor acolyte of Angela Saini after he posted a negative review of her book so he knows to cross the t's and dot the i's.
It has its flaws of course. He brushes over the Flynn Effect and doesn't really address the enormous economic progress over the last 20 odd years but that's perhaps for another day.
It's dissident stuff for sure but there is much to recommend exposing yourself to heresy.
July 3, 2025
Hit and Miss.
I think this was a bit of a swing and a miss. My primary problem is that it is incendiary and biased. I've enjoyed other books by Dutton, and he has impressed me with his ability to remain objective and dispassionate.
I think that the general focus of the book, the comparison between the women who were criminally charged and executed for witchcraft and the modern (extreme) feminists, just doesn't quite stick. Whilst there are parallels and correlations that can be drawn, I don't think that the evidence was substantial enough and there is still room for reasonable doubt.
A substantial part of the book (perhaps 20%) covers areas that Dutton has previously explored in depth in his other books, which can make some sections feel rehashed despite their relevancy.
There are numerous interesting observations and parts that made me reflect. For example, the Black Death effectively serving as a selection event and thereby a logical precursor to the Industrial Revolution is insightful and plausible.
Part of the problem is that feminism can have an extremely broad application and can mean significantly different things to different people. Dutton did offer a brief explanation on the brand of feminism with which he takes aim but I still think he is tackling a subject that would have benefited from further clarification.
Dutton is no stranger to controversy, and his videos are often provocative and deliberately over the top. However, his other books that I have read have generally been more impartial, objective and scholarly in tone. I was disappointed, therefore, to find that this book seemed to be written with personal grievance and incendiary language in places. This was front-loaded and I felt that the quality improved as the book progressed. The subject matter is important and deserves to be discussed, though I think a more neutral tone and some steel-manning of opposing positions would have greatly improved this work.
I knocked a star off for a few typos and subpar formatting but then added it back on because Dutton did make me laugh out loud twice.
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.
I think this was a bit of a swing and a miss. My primary problem is that it is incendiary and biased. I've enjoyed other books by Dutton, and he has impressed me with his ability to remain objective and dispassionate.
I think that the general focus of the book, the comparison between the women who were criminally charged and executed for witchcraft and the modern (extreme) feminists, just doesn't quite stick. Whilst there are parallels and correlations that can be drawn, I don't think that the evidence was substantial enough and there is still room for reasonable doubt.
A substantial part of the book (perhaps 20%) covers areas that Dutton has previously explored in depth in his other books, which can make some sections feel rehashed despite their relevancy.
There are numerous interesting observations and parts that made me reflect. For example, the Black Death effectively serving as a selection event and thereby a logical precursor to the Industrial Revolution is insightful and plausible.
Part of the problem is that feminism can have an extremely broad application and can mean significantly different things to different people. Dutton did offer a brief explanation on the brand of feminism with which he takes aim but I still think he is tackling a subject that would have benefited from further clarification.
Dutton is no stranger to controversy, and his videos are often provocative and deliberately over the top. However, his other books that I have read have generally been more impartial, objective and scholarly in tone. I was disappointed, therefore, to find that this book seemed to be written with personal grievance and incendiary language in places. This was front-loaded and I felt that the quality improved as the book progressed. The subject matter is important and deserves to be discussed, though I think a more neutral tone and some steel-manning of opposing positions would have greatly improved this work.
I knocked a star off for a few typos and subpar formatting but then added it back on because Dutton did make me laugh out loud twice.
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.
October 31, 2021
Have you read two other Dutton books? You've already read most of this one, but you should read it again anyways.
August 7, 2022
Gibberish. It has some interesting elements, and at first I was entertained, thinking this might be a parody. Alas, the author seems completely serious.
Between the concept of "spiteful mutants" unironically used, assumptions about how "mutations" work and obvious ignorance of what they are, as well as the complete mess that this book is, the reader might be excused for thinking the author might benefit from having not only his arguments but also his head examined.
Take our world, in all its expansive and incomprehensible complexity, and create its approximate model but with like 6 variables, instead of trillions. Do the same to the internal logic of this model. The result will have a recognizable form, but it will be a scaled down Minecraft version of reality.
As an antidote, I'd suggest Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch.
Between the concept of "spiteful mutants" unironically used, assumptions about how "mutations" work and obvious ignorance of what they are, as well as the complete mess that this book is, the reader might be excused for thinking the author might benefit from having not only his arguments but also his head examined.
Take our world, in all its expansive and incomprehensible complexity, and create its approximate model but with like 6 variables, instead of trillions. Do the same to the internal logic of this model. The result will have a recognizable form, but it will be a scaled down Minecraft version of reality.
As an antidote, I'd suggest Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch.
November 9, 2022
A bit wordy and hard to read in places; however it presents some new ideas and theories about our modern era that are refreshing and relieving in the sense that they explain a world that at times has seemed to have gone to the dogs.
January 5, 2022
Fascinating read
Ed Dutton’s book is an incredibly lively read. Well researched, well written and chock full of challenging and insightful ideas. Highly recommended.
Ed Dutton’s book is an incredibly lively read. Well researched, well written and chock full of challenging and insightful ideas. Highly recommended.
March 21, 2025
Wow, where to start. Speaking from an academic perspective, the lack of supportive evidence and arguments is appalling. The author is continously promoting his personal views without any evidence. In academia, you're supposed to Point, include Evidence, Analyse and Summarise (PEAS). The only point followed is Point - by pointing to a topic/theme and then not including the evidence mentioned in the introduction of the chapters.
The topic of feminism and witchcraft is extremely interesting, but this is just a book where a man talks down about women. It doesn't include male witches at all! It is highly misogynistic and it is scary to think that this worldview still has such an impact in our modern life.
The only reason I gave this book 1 star is because it gave me a laugh at how ridiculous it is and it has created great discussions with fellow peers.
The topic of feminism and witchcraft is extremely interesting, but this is just a book where a man talks down about women. It doesn't include male witches at all! It is highly misogynistic and it is scary to think that this worldview still has such an impact in our modern life.
The only reason I gave this book 1 star is because it gave me a laugh at how ridiculous it is and it has created great discussions with fellow peers.
November 19, 2022
Dutton is a dangerous lunatic with ZERO scientific qualifications. Dutton is also yet another of the near-infinite conga line of hypocritical skinheads who complain of “censorship” of their thoroughly debunked pseudoscientific dogmas whilst at the same time engaging in “proud boy” violence and homicide against any who argue against them.
Dutton attempts to have removed any hostile review on any forum including this one.
From the Rationalwiki article on Dutton.
“Edward Croft Dutton (1980–) is an alt-right eccentric English Youtuber, terrorist-sympathizer,[2] anti-feminist, race and intelligence pseudoscientist,[3] homophobe, Islamophobe, sexist, transphobe, anti-semite, anti-vegan, and white supremacist.[4][5] He is ex-editor-in-chief of the journal Mankind Quarterly and describes himself as the Jolly Heretic. Dutton has a degree in Theology from Durham University and a PhD in religious studies from the University of Aberdeen.[6] He is extremely pretentious and claims to be a professor despite the fact that this is questionable at best, and critics have described him as a fraud.[7]
Dutton claims to be a proponent of freedom of speech and thinks there should be no censorship in science, writing: "If someone forcefully insists that a certain area is out of bounds and you’re ‘immoral’ for even contemplating it, then that is where new discoveries are going to lie."[8] The problem is he's a huge hypocrite. For example, he deletes any comments left on his YouTube videos that merely criticise him or his colleague Michael A. Woodley.
Unlike his closet racist associates such as Michael Woodley, Emil Kirkegaard, Nathan Cofnas and Noah Carl,[9] Dutton is more open about his racist beliefs. He has regular friendly podcasts and public discussions with alt-right, neo-Nazi, and/or white supremacist outlets. In late 2020, he was the main guest of a podcast run by neo-nazi and white supremacist Richard Spencer on the topic "Making Sense of Race".[10]
Dutton promotes the pseudoscientific spiteful mutant hypothesis and a ridiculous fad diet known as the carnivore diet. He attacks liberals, vegetarians, vegans, homosexuals, transexuals, and people who dye their hair as "mentally ill" mutants. He is also a supporter of the white nationalist group Patriotic Alternative that promotes "White Lives Matter" banners around the UK.[11] In late 2021, Dutton attracted criticism for his defence of ephebophilia.[12] “
https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Edward_...
Dutton attempts to have removed any hostile review on any forum including this one.
From the Rationalwiki article on Dutton.
“Edward Croft Dutton (1980–) is an alt-right eccentric English Youtuber, terrorist-sympathizer,[2] anti-feminist, race and intelligence pseudoscientist,[3] homophobe, Islamophobe, sexist, transphobe, anti-semite, anti-vegan, and white supremacist.[4][5] He is ex-editor-in-chief of the journal Mankind Quarterly and describes himself as the Jolly Heretic. Dutton has a degree in Theology from Durham University and a PhD in religious studies from the University of Aberdeen.[6] He is extremely pretentious and claims to be a professor despite the fact that this is questionable at best, and critics have described him as a fraud.[7]
Dutton claims to be a proponent of freedom of speech and thinks there should be no censorship in science, writing: "If someone forcefully insists that a certain area is out of bounds and you’re ‘immoral’ for even contemplating it, then that is where new discoveries are going to lie."[8] The problem is he's a huge hypocrite. For example, he deletes any comments left on his YouTube videos that merely criticise him or his colleague Michael A. Woodley.
Unlike his closet racist associates such as Michael Woodley, Emil Kirkegaard, Nathan Cofnas and Noah Carl,[9] Dutton is more open about his racist beliefs. He has regular friendly podcasts and public discussions with alt-right, neo-Nazi, and/or white supremacist outlets. In late 2020, he was the main guest of a podcast run by neo-nazi and white supremacist Richard Spencer on the topic "Making Sense of Race".[10]
Dutton promotes the pseudoscientific spiteful mutant hypothesis and a ridiculous fad diet known as the carnivore diet. He attacks liberals, vegetarians, vegans, homosexuals, transexuals, and people who dye their hair as "mentally ill" mutants. He is also a supporter of the white nationalist group Patriotic Alternative that promotes "White Lives Matter" banners around the UK.[11] In late 2021, Dutton attracted criticism for his defence of ephebophilia.[12] “
https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Edward_...
October 20, 2021
About a year ago I read this book "Mud, Blood, and Poppycock," a revisionist history of the Great War that argued that, contrary to popular opinion, soldiers in the trenches were not demoralized, nihilistic, without hope and overrun with rats feasting on the eyes of their dead comrades. It was a contentious thesis, but well-enough argued for me to enjoy and recommend the book.
Now we have "Witches, Feminism, and the Fall of the West," which one-ups "Poppycock" in the category of "likely-to-piss-people-off." The book's controversial thesis? Witch hunts throughout the ages were not irrational expressions of religious fervor by superstitious people searching out low-status scapegoats to blame for things like plague, war, and the failure of crops.
Instead witches were typically childless, older women, whose inability to fit in with society caused them to adopt maladaptive/anti-natalist ideologies that inverted patriarchal norms, lowered fertility, and placed the Other on a pedestal while shunning their neighbors. Think Dickens' Mrs. Jellyby, only more interested in abortifacients that involved eye of newt rather than writing letters to children starving in Africa.
If these witches of yore bear more than a passing resemblance to the blue-haired, excessively pierced and tattooed feminist you knew in college, that correlation is not an accident, and is one on which the author's argument rests.
Feminists, in Edward Dutton's estimation, are latterday witches, only they rely more on NGOs to bring refugees from foreign lands rather than riding their hickory brooms out to the woods to make their assignations with Old Scratch. They kiss the ring of the internationalist rainmakers like George Soros rather than the hindquarters of the Dark Lord.
It's contentious, as previously mentioned, but well-enough researched, argued, and footnoted, to make it worth your time no matter where you place yourself on the political spectrum or in the culture war. Recommended.
Now we have "Witches, Feminism, and the Fall of the West," which one-ups "Poppycock" in the category of "likely-to-piss-people-off." The book's controversial thesis? Witch hunts throughout the ages were not irrational expressions of religious fervor by superstitious people searching out low-status scapegoats to blame for things like plague, war, and the failure of crops.
Instead witches were typically childless, older women, whose inability to fit in with society caused them to adopt maladaptive/anti-natalist ideologies that inverted patriarchal norms, lowered fertility, and placed the Other on a pedestal while shunning their neighbors. Think Dickens' Mrs. Jellyby, only more interested in abortifacients that involved eye of newt rather than writing letters to children starving in Africa.
If these witches of yore bear more than a passing resemblance to the blue-haired, excessively pierced and tattooed feminist you knew in college, that correlation is not an accident, and is one on which the author's argument rests.
Feminists, in Edward Dutton's estimation, are latterday witches, only they rely more on NGOs to bring refugees from foreign lands rather than riding their hickory brooms out to the woods to make their assignations with Old Scratch. They kiss the ring of the internationalist rainmakers like George Soros rather than the hindquarters of the Dark Lord.
It's contentious, as previously mentioned, but well-enough researched, argued, and footnoted, to make it worth your time no matter where you place yourself on the political spectrum or in the culture war. Recommended.
October 10, 2025
This was an interesting read. For context, I am a person of faith (Protestant Christian). So reading this book by someone coming from an evolutionary/Darwinian approach, while at the same time advocating for a religious society was a bit odd, as it usually doesn’t happen. Because he comes from an outsider’s perspective some things he presumes about acts in Christianity (mainly Protestant martyrs during Mary Queen of Scots reign) vs Islamic suicide bombers vs Japanese kamikaze pilots is a bit off. The information otherwise could be adapted or explained from a Christian worldview as well.
Overall I would recommend it, the historical side of it was interesting. I especially enjoyed the parts comparing witches in classic fairytales and literature to the witches of past and present. I wish that had been delved into a bit more personally. This is definitely a unique and understandable approach to the way the world is the way that it is.
Overall I would recommend it, the historical side of it was interesting. I especially enjoyed the parts comparing witches in classic fairytales and literature to the witches of past and present. I wish that had been delved into a bit more personally. This is definitely a unique and understandable approach to the way the world is the way that it is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2022
A fascinating text. The connection between witches old and new was one that had never previously occurred to me but having read this book I can see where the author is coming from. It probably helps to be familiar with a bit of psychology to gain full benefit from this work, but in spite of this I found it very readable and gave me plenty to think about.
July 25, 2024
Why feminism destroyed the West
A must read for liberty loving people to understand how feminism destroys the family and so the culture, traditions, and ultimately civilization itself. It is telling that without women voting Marxist and communism would be ideologies only read about in history, not threatening all we hold dear!
A must read for liberty loving people to understand how feminism destroys the family and so the culture, traditions, and ultimately civilization itself. It is telling that without women voting Marxist and communism would be ideologies only read about in history, not threatening all we hold dear!
October 6, 2022
If I could rate this zero stars I would...it was gross.
May 24, 2023
Just another Jordan Peterson wannabe propping up the “merits” of patriarchy and right wing idealism.
May 30, 2024
3.5*
Interesting, well-sourced, at times insightful, but much more tenuous as compared with his other works.
Interesting, well-sourced, at times insightful, but much more tenuous as compared with his other works.
September 10, 2025
Hate speech disguised as a book. Delisted from most distributors and removed from Amazon unlimited
March 11, 2023
This is a great book - yes, it's controversial, sure to restimulate the atavistic wounds of witches drowned long ago, and subject the author to the symbolic burning at the stake his heretical kind suffered around the same time. But Dutton as a typical heretic is male, educated and quite willing to stir up the social order, for the good of the order. Witches on the other hand tend to be female, ugly and anti-social/anti-life. And we call those witches today "feminists."
Needless to say this is both a fun and extremely important (and timely!) book. It covers (and provides clarity on) what ails the modern world from an evolutionary psychologist's perspective. Highly recommended.
Needless to say this is both a fun and extremely important (and timely!) book. It covers (and provides clarity on) what ails the modern world from an evolutionary psychologist's perspective. Highly recommended.
June 25, 2025
I really liked this book but I am not sure it is all that accurate. It gave me the impression that all the witches were chosen because of anti-social behaviors and unattractive physical appearance. I can see both being true to a certain degree but not 100%. The book provided a fresh perspective, especially on feminism. I understand the author may have suffered some significant grief because of the book. That seems highly likely in this woke world.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews