Does Scholar Really Use Magic? - Lore/RP

[Risvertasashi]

Just because aether is used, doesn't mean that magic is used. My opinion is that magic is the channeling of aether through the body, which you are right, many more jobs than mages do this. PLD, DRK, WAR, NIN, DRG, and MNK all do this in various different forms, but MCH does not. MCH has an aetherotransformer on their belt, which uses your aether to power the weapon in the same way that garleans use ceruleum. MCH is a very artificial job, using technology over magic, and I would argue that they are where the line is drawn between aether and magic.

SCH totally channels aether through their bodies though, the nymian magic is just written as battle tactics.

Do you... really not see the contradictions in your own post?

Or perhaps it's better to ask... what is your definition of "magic"?

To most people, Aether = Magic. Saying Garleans cannot use aether (like in the post above yours) is equivalent to saying Garleans cannot use magic (and not strictly true if you include tool use). And using Aether through a tool is still using Aether (AKA magic).

Various mage classes has different 'sources' and ways of channeling aether but in the end they all use it, so saying "oh but this class's particular tool is a bit different" seems relatively meaningless and makes an unconvincing argument.