On Mar 31, 2008, at 8:56 AM, Prof David West wrote: > > On Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:35:21 -0600, "Don Begley" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said: > > > >> That leads to my theory on how various religious traditions came into >> being. Once humans reached a level of caloric & social security that >> allowed some citizens to live past their sexually and huntingly (sic) >> productive years, the longer-lived individuals had to develop an >> argument for being fed by their younger counterparts. What better way >> than to promise they could bring the sun back if only they were fed >> while they performed the necessary rituals. > > Nice theory - but "social security" predated organized religion - a > combination of generalized reciprocity and the fact that the old frts > told good stories.
My point. Have security, live longer, tell good stories (esp. wert keeping the gods happy so there would be more security), get fed soft food for bad teeth. <g> > > > The invention of agriculture - generating for the first time a surplus > of food - inevitably resulted in the establishment of a formal > religion > quickly followed by a "kingship" of some sort. It was a question of > surplus distribution - who should decide what happened to the surplus? > coupled with the related question, who should control/possess the > surplus until distributed? Unlike other tribal leadership roles, > (e.g. > war chief, head hunter, shaman) it was not obvious - based on > consensus > evaluation of individual skill sets - who should be "keeper of the > surplus" but this was obviously a nice job to have so ambitious but > otherwise unqualified types hit on the idea that they should do it > because god/the gods wanted them to. An assertion beyond challenge. > First claims to kingship were also based on "divine right." > I sense the gods are unhappy and may take the sun away again soon if we don't please them. Pass me more soft food. -d- > davew > >> >> -d- > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
