The Role of Religion in History – Lecture 1: Primitive Religion
Nov 1, 2023
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This podcast explores the role of religion throughout history, starting with primitive religion. Topics discussed include the role of supernatural powers, magic, rituals, taboos, and the importance of myths. It also touches on faith, trust in God, morality, and taboo systems in primitive societies.
Religion developed as a response to uncertainty and the desire for assurance, serving as a way for primitive man to cope with the uncontrollable aspects of life.
Magic is a pseudo-science that relies on rituals and incantations to control supernatural forces based on the association of ideas through resemblance and contiguity.
Primitive societies had burial practices that respected and feared the dead, engaging in rituals to ensure a peaceful afterlife and belief in disembodied spirits.
Deep dives
Religion as a Response to Lack of Control and Anxiety
Primitive man turns to religion when he faces uncertainty and lacks control over certain aspects of life. Anxiety over uncontrollable events and the desire for assurance drives him towards religious rituals and beliefs.
Magic and its Connection to Resemblance and Contiguity
Magic relies on the association of ideas based on resemblance and contiguity. It is a pseudo-science that attempts to control supernatural forces through rituals and incantations.
Primitive Burial Practices and Belief in Spirits
Primitive societies, such as Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon man, had burial practices that respected and feared the dead. They believed in disembodied spirits and engaged in rituals to ensure that the deceased had a peaceful afterlife.
Rites of Passage and the Importance of Initiation
Rites of passage, such as birth, initiation, marriage, and death, were vital in tribal societies. They marked the transition into a new status or role and included practices like mutilation and the sharing of secret knowledge.
The Development of Religion in Human History
Religion originated as a response to uncertainty, anxiety, and a lack of control. It evolved alongside human societies, from primitive practices like magic and taboos to more complex rituals and belief systems. Religion played a significant role in the history of various civilizations, shaping their cultures and philosophies.
In the late 1980s, philosopher George Walsh gave this six-hour course on history’s most influential religions. With his characteristic erudition and humor, he covers so-called “primitive religion,” followed by Indian religion (Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism), Judaism and Christianity, and finally Islam.
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