Superstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one
event leads to the cause of another without any physical process linking the
two events, such as astrology, omens, witchcraft, etc. that contradicts natural
science. Opposition to superstition was a central concern of the intellectuals
during the 18th century Age of Enlightenment. The philosophes at that time
ridiculed any belief in miracles, revelation, magic, or the supernatural, as
"superstition," and typically included as well much of Christian
doctrine. The word is often used pejoratively to refer to religious practices
other than the one prevailing in a given society, although the prevailing
religion may contain just as many supernatural beliefs. It is also commonly
applied to beliefs and practices surrounding luck, prophecy and spiritual
beings, particularly the belief that future events can be foretold by specific
unrelated prior events.
