Scott Alexander theorizes that ancient religions were inseparable from culture, comparing them to modern American civil religion and explaining how they evolved into distinct belief systems.
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Scott Alexander proposes a theory about the origin of religion, arguing that ancient religions were inseparable from culture and daily life. He compares ancient religions to modern American civil religion, highlighting similarities in customs, taboos, and mythologies. The post suggests that religion evolved from culture in a world where cultural differences were more pronounced, and became ossified and separated from context over time. Scott argues that writing down cultural practices and attributing them to gods provided justification for maintaining these practices. He also discusses how newer religions like Christianity and Islam underwent a similar process of ossification, preserving elements of their original cultural context.
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