Max asked, >What in tarnation is "the myth of the state"? > >MBS Another way of saying "the myth of the state" would be the "story of the origin of the state". It isn't necessarily a lie or a falsehood but it is necessarily a fiction. It is a fiction because it tells about something that occured before history. In the case of Genesis, the myth is that God kept making special arrangements with a particular line of descendents, the patriarchs, which became incrementally more state-like in their scope. Roughly one could schematicize the evolution presented in the myth as - revelation of a divine covenant with Noah's descendents (the rainbow) - insistence on total obedience to the law (Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac) - granting of a territorial domain (Canaan to Isaac) - assumption of an administrative/economic function (Joseph's 'finance ministry' to Pharoah) So there you go: a constitution, law, territory and administration. Looks like a state, quacks like a state, must be a state. Now this myth is pretty primitive as regards to its explanatory coherence or its grounding in empirical evidence. But at the same time it is extremely powerful as a transmiter of "revealed truth". That's simply to say that the story has been told and retold for generations -- first as oral narrative, second as 'scripture' and third as literary and popular source. This myth of the state, by the way, is particularly salient for the U.S. where the biblical imagery has been associated with everything from the pilgrims landing at plymouth rock to the westward expansion (and genocide of the aboriginals [canaanites?]) to manifest destiny. You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy. And you can take prayers out of the schools, but you can't take the schools out of the prayers. Regards, Tom Walker ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ #408 1035 Pacific St. Vancouver, B.C. V6E 4G7 [EMAIL PROTECTED] (604) 669-3286 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The TimeWork Web: http://www.vcn.bc.ca/timework/
