NASSR 2025 virtual panel: Common Sense and Popular Belief
Romantic-era approaches to popular belief, from the philosophical to the sociological, had different ways of framing the “common.” Common beliefs might be framed as ordinary, intuitive, or rooted in common sentiment; or might in contrast suggest vulgar or popular belief, as in the category of “popular superstitions.” This panel will look at Romantic-era constructions of common or popular belief, with topics that might include (but are not limited to): “Common Sense” philosophy and intuitive belief; popular religion; folklore and supernatural beliefs; cultures of popular magic; or other approaches to “traditional” belief.