Conversation

One good thing pre-modern societies did better than us is take luck a lot more seriously. The content of superstitions and astrology etc does not matter. What matters is that it occupies headspace that would otherwise get filled by false confidence in causality.
10
513
Replying to
It is the other way around. They looked for causes everywhere. You did not get sick or injuried by accident, it was God punishment (so you are guilty you have lepra) or evil witch deeds (so let's use fire and sword to get revenge on her and her village).
2
2
Replying to
that's my point... the inscrutability of divine intentions makes the causality entirely theoretical and the practical effect being embrace of randomness and luck...you pray, god mysteriously decides in a causal way whether to answer, and your randomness becomes divine intention
Replying to
I disagree. This is not about random divine interventions. Those were perceived as mostly deterministic: sinners were punished for their sins (and holy books specify what is illegal). Your disease proves that you sinned somehow (we may not know details, but God saw and acted). /
1