> For instance, it eliminates the need to create an abstract, deontological system of morality. Instead, a tribe can instead create its laws and customs by appealing to the sayings and proverbs of great ancestors, all of whom are revered and respected since they all played an existentially important role for each member.
those laws might not be reconciliable in all cases. lessons we got from ancestors are incomplete, either through us being elsewhere or loss in transmission. this needs constant reinvention
> A belief in a relatively abstract deity can strengthen a thede’s in-group bonds, as the specific understanding of it, right down to its name, must force a thede to differentiate itself from others, preventing dissolution
from a historical-materialist perspective, the alignment of a thede with an economic activity is the key dissolution factor, not beliefs
> If members of a horde can’t be united by a tacitly shared relationship to the world that surrounds them at all times, they must find substitutes. The tools they use take on a newfound importance. The particular kind of labor they perform becomes far more important than their actual social class status, which is comparatively abstract. The clothing they wear matters. Diet and food choice matters a lot. Usage of drugs absolutely matters.
I think your first point is correct, and that's also why the concept of "this is the law because God says so" was actually something of a scientific breakthrough for its time. People often mock it now, but that kind of thinking introduced the possibility of proceeding from first principles rather than constantly reinventing old wisdom based on new exigencies.
> For instance, it eliminates the need to create an abstract, deontological system of morality. Instead, a tribe can instead create its laws and customs by appealing to the sayings and proverbs of great ancestors, all of whom are revered and respected since they all played an existentially important role for each member.
those laws might not be reconciliable in all cases. lessons we got from ancestors are incomplete, either through us being elsewhere or loss in transmission. this needs constant reinvention
> A belief in a relatively abstract deity can strengthen a thede’s in-group bonds, as the specific understanding of it, right down to its name, must force a thede to differentiate itself from others, preventing dissolution
from a historical-materialist perspective, the alignment of a thede with an economic activity is the key dissolution factor, not beliefs
> If members of a horde can’t be united by a tacitly shared relationship to the world that surrounds them at all times, they must find substitutes. The tools they use take on a newfound importance. The particular kind of labor they perform becomes far more important than their actual social class status, which is comparatively abstract. The clothing they wear matters. Diet and food choice matters a lot. Usage of drugs absolutely matters.
this is excellent
another angle would be Horde vs Reign of Quantity
I think your first point is correct, and that's also why the concept of "this is the law because God says so" was actually something of a scientific breakthrough for its time. People often mock it now, but that kind of thinking introduced the possibility of proceeding from first principles rather than constantly reinventing old wisdom based on new exigencies.