The dangers of unbridled technological advancement and the need for a strong moral foundation to guide our actions in order to avoid negative consequences.
The shift from traditional mythological and religious beliefs to modern thinking has led to technological advancements but also a loss of meaning and guidance, resulting in increased conflicts and a search for new belief systems.
Stories, particularly religious and mythological narratives, play a crucial role in transmitting moral codes, shaping values, and providing guidance for behavior in human societies.
Deep dives
The Power of Technological Advancement and the Need for Moral Consciousness
In this podcast episode, the speaker discusses the potential dangers of unbridled technological advancement. It is argued that as we become increasingly powerful through technology, it is crucial that we also develop a moral sense that is as conscious and elaborated as our technological sense. The lack of a strong moral foundation to guide our actions can lead to negative consequences. It is suggested that as we continue to advance technologically, we should also spend time updating and bringing our ethical and moral systems into the domain of clear consciousness and control.
The Shift from Mythological and Religious Beliefs to Modern Thinking
The podcast explores the shift from traditional mythological and religious beliefs to modern thinking. In the past, people held the belief that the world and the cosmos revolved around them, with their village or country at the center. However, with the rise of technology and empirical knowledge, these beliefs were gradually abandoned. The speaker suggests that while this shift has led to technological advancements, it has also resulted in the loss of religious and mythological frameworks that provided meaning and guidance. The consequences of this shift include a lack of wisdom, increased ideological conflicts, and a search for new systems to fill the vacuum left by traditional belief systems.
The Significance of Stories and the Evolution of Morality
The podcast delves into the significance of stories and their connection to morality. It is argued that stories, particularly religious and mythological narratives, serve as a means to transmit moral codes and provide guidance for behavior. Stories help individuals understand the world and their place in it, and they shape moral values and behavior. By examining ancient myths and creation stories, such as the Judeo-Christian creation myth and ancient Egyptian stories, the podcast highlights the importance of moral principles in human societies. It is suggested that underlying motivational and emotional systems influence our actions, and that recognizing and understanding these forces can help us navigate the complexities of life.
The Sumerian Creation Myth: The Battle Between Chaos and Order
The Sumerian creation myth tells the story of the primordial beast Tiamat and her husband Apsu, who represent chaos and order respectively. The gods, being unaware of the consequences of their mindless activity, disturb Tiamat and risk plunging everything back into chaos. In response, Tiamat decides to wipe out everything, including culture itself. The gods give birth to Marduk, a powerful and wise god associated with the sun. Marduk confronts Tiamat, encapsulates her in a net, and cuts her into pieces, using her remains to create the world. This myth represents the eternal conflict between chaos and order and the hero's role in maintaining the balance.
The Immortality of Pharaoh and the Democratization of Sovereignty
In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh was considered both the live and dead pharaoh simultaneously, embodying the immortality of the union between Horus and Osiris. This union of horus and osiris was associated with the ability to bring order to the face of chaos. The pyramids were built to glorify this idea and represented the dedication to the immortality of the union. Over time, the symbolic representations of immortality started to drift down the power hierarchy into the aristocracy, indicating the democratization of sovereignty. Similar ideas of individual sovereignty and direct relationship with the divine emerged in Greek and Jewish cultures, leading to the development of democratic and religious beliefs. These archaic ideas laid the foundation for our modern political and cultural systems.
Part 1: Maps of Meaning: 1 Monsters of Our Own Making. This is the first of a 13-part 30 minute episode television series broadcast by TVO presenting Dr. Jordan B Peterson's lectures on his book, Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief. The lecture provides a good introduction to the psychology of mythology and religion, based on the idea that stories from these domains describe the world as a place of action, rather than, as science does, a place of things.
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