PET PEEVE: Theorists who use "superstition" as a buck-stopping explanation for broad patterns of human behavior. Below: A passage from "The Origins of Political Order" by Francis Fukuyamapic.twitter.com/gEGTidYCuW
Show this thread
-
"Because superstition" is an explanation of last resort. Very intellectually lazy.
Show this thread
Fukuyama is right that there's a puzzle, though: Individuals have almost no reason to prefer their fourth cousin to a friendly stranger. So how do tribes of distant relatives cohere?
-
-
It's not fear of supernatural retribution. Rather, the shared ancestors serve as a focal point for coordination.
Show this thread -
If everyone formed political alliances only with their friends, the resulting network would be a stringy mesh, centerless and incoherent. Instead, when people unite around a common (patrilineal or matrilineal) ancestor, the political network takes the shape of a firm knot.
Show this thread -
Superstitions then get grafted on later, as stories to tell children. "Don't disrespect your cousins or Great Grandpa will be mad." Crucially, these fables reinforce political ties **that make sense for other reasons**. The dead are just a Schelling point.
Show this thread
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
Shared practices and rituals could bring fourth cousins together than strangers in some circumstances. Indian caste system is one that comes to mind.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.