Excerpt from A Study in the Psychology of Ritualism: A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Literature in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Philosophy)
Religious and moral problems have never been more assiduously and faithfully studied than they are today. On the one hand are the conservative theologians who are bending every effort to keep intact the dogmas and traditions of Christianity. The wel fare oi humanity, they think, depends upon doing this. On the other hand are the scientists, motivated not by a spirit of oppo sition but by an earnest desire to get hold Of the truth. Truth, they hold, cannot permanently injure humanity. Any light that anthropology, psychology, archaeology, or any other line of research can throw on questions Of religion and morality Should be welcomed. Scientific research Should be encouraged.
A central problem of religion and morality, and one to which comparatively little attention has been given, is ritualism. The Object of the present undertaking is a critical study from the point of View of the psychology of religion and social psychology of this type of reaction, for the purpose of describing the laws of its origin, development, and survival. The thesis which we shall defend is that the type of reaction designated as ritual ism is always social, that it is performed to mediate practical control, and that it has a natural history in accordance with well-known psychological laws. It is, of course, impossible to examine every ceremony past and present, nor is it necessary, for we are interested less in morphological classification than in psychological function. Modern scholars now generally recognize that all available historical and contemporary data point to the fact that, notwithstanding the differences in the stages of culture among men, the structure of mind and the laws of mental develop ment are essentially the same wherever man is found. The similarity in rituals and objects of worship among primitive peoples separated far in time and space has long been one of the conspicuous phenomena of the history of religion and is in striking confirmation of the above.
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Paperback. Condizione: New. Print on Demand. This book examines the origin, evolution, and persistence of rituals as a cultural phenomenon. The author, an established expert in the field, argues that rituals are always social reactions designed to mediate practical control. Drawing on extensive anthropological and historical research, the author traces the development of rituals from their origins in primitive food and sex impulses to their complex manifestations in modern society. By shedding light on the psychological underpinnings of rituals, this book provides a deeper understanding of their enduring power and their role in shaping human behavior. The author demonstrates that rituals are not merely relics of the past but continue to play a vital role in contemporary life, offering a sense of community and meaning in an increasingly fragmented world. This book is a reproduction of an important historical work, digitally reconstructed using state-of-the-art technology to preserve the original format. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in the book. print-on-demand item. Codice articolo 9781333400224_0
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PAP. Condizione: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Codice articolo LW-9781333400224
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Da: PBShop.store UK, Fairford, GLOS, Regno Unito
PAP. Condizione: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Codice articolo LW-9781333400224
Quantità: 15 disponibili