Interview with Sarah

Silvia Federici's "Caliban and the Witch" examines the historical connections between the witch hunts of early modern Europe and the rise of capitalism. Federici argues that the persecution of women as witches was not merely a matter of superstition but a crucial element in the process of primitive accumulation. The book explores how the control of women's bodies and labor was essential to the establishment of capitalist relations of production. Federici connects the witch hunts to the enclosure of the commons, the commodification of labor, and the subjugation of women under patriarchal structures. The book challenges traditional historical narratives and offers a powerful feminist critique of capitalism's origins and ongoing impact.