"WhatifAlthist" | World History, Philosophy, Culture Modernity's Two Mythologies
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Oct 22, 2025 Explore how history is driven by dreams rather than logic, revealing two competing mythologies that shape modern society. Delve into the idea that radical delusions fueled by wealth and scientific success lead to ideological conflict. Discover how science fiction mirrors our reality and reflects our dystopian present. The discussion critiques socialism’s disconnect from human nature and its failures as a civic religion. Through it all, the importance of older social institutions is emphasized as a counterbalance to technological advancement.
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History Runs On Collective Fantasies
- Gustave Le Bon argues history is driven by dreams and fantasies rather than logic or facts.
- Rudyard Lynch agrees most people rationalize emotions and follow projected societal ideals.
Science's Aesthetic Became A New Religion
- Modernity enabled radical delusion by conflating the aesthetic of science with scientific method.
- This created powerful unreal expectations that people enforce even destructively.
Myths Organize Societies And Drive Conflict
- Myths unify societies by projecting ideal worlds like Heaven, Valhalla, or Marxist utopia.
- When a shared myth dominates, it suppresses rival ideas and shapes institutions and violence.
