Scott Alexander reviews Rene Girard's 'I See Satan Fall Like Lightning', critiquing its theory of myths and religion centered on scapegoating, and discussing its application to modern 'wokeness'. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews Rene Girard's book 'I See Satan Fall Like Lightning', which presents an ambitious theory of anthropology, mythography, and Judeo-Christian religion. Girard argues that pagan myths and Bible stories describe the same psychosocial process he calls the 'single-victim process' or 'Satan'. This process involves mimetic desire leading to conflict, which is resolved by the community turning against a scapegoat. Girard claims Christianity uniquely reveals this process as evil. The review critiques Girard's theory as overly broad and not fitting many myths and Bible stories. It also discusses Girard's views on modern 'wokeness' as an extension of Christian concern for victims, but notes Girard's struggle to reconcile this with his conservative Christian views. Shorter summary

A review of 'The Alexander Romance', comparing its fantastical tales of Alexander the Great to modern superhero comics. Longer summary

This post reviews 'The Alexander Romance', a collection of legendary tales about Alexander the Great that were popular for over a thousand years. The review describes the fantastical and often contradictory stories in the Romance, including Alexander's magical birth, his encounters with mythical creatures, and his journey to the edges of the world. The author compares the Romance to modern superhero comics, noting similarities in structure, inconsistencies, and cultural adaptations. Shorter summary

Scott explores various fictional scenarios about the relationship between gods, belief, and power through a series of dialogues between a student and a sage. Longer summary

This post is a series of fictional dialogues between a student and a sage, exploring different hypothetical scenarios about the nature of gods and belief. Each scenario presents a unique twist on the relationship between gods, belief, and power. The dialogues cover topics such as the balance between belief and doubt, the power of unbelievers' worship, the strength gained from doubt, and the potential for humans to become gods through collective belief. The post ends with a surprising turn, suggesting a connection to a well-known religious figure. Shorter summary

Scott engages in a battle of wits with a Sphinx, exchanging clever riddles and culminating in an unexpected answer to the classic Sphinx riddle. Longer summary

Scott Alexander presents a series of witty and clever riddles in a fictional encounter with a Sphinx on the road to LA. The riddles and answers showcase wordplay, puns, and creative interpretations of common phrases. The post culminates with Scott providing an unexpected but logical answer to the Sphinx's famous riddle about legs and time of day, using a flight itinerary as his solution. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander investigates claims linking Pharaoh Djoser to Osiris and Joseph, finding little evidence for the Osiris connection but a small possibility of a link to the Joseph story. Longer summary

Scott Alexander investigates claims that Pharaoh Djoser was the inspiration for the god Osiris and the Biblical Joseph. He concludes that the connection between Djoser and Osiris is likely meaningless, but there might be a very small chance of a connection to Joseph. The post discusses Djoser's reign, the origins of Osiris worship, and the similarities between the Famine Stele legend about Djoser and Imhotep and the biblical story of Joseph. Scott examines various theories, including creationist interpretations and scholarly suggestions that the Joseph story may have been inspired by Egyptian legends. He ultimately cautions against too readily accepting such connections, noting the prevalence of similar motifs across ancient Near Eastern cultures. Shorter summary

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. Longer summary

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. Shorter summary

A mythological tale contrasts the Goddess of Cancer's primal drives with the Goddess of Everything Else's push for cooperation and progress, showing how the latter gradually wins over creation. Longer summary

This post presents a mythological narrative of two opposing forces: the Goddess of Cancer, representing primal drives for survival and reproduction, and the Goddess of Everything Else, embodying cooperation, beauty, and progress. The story unfolds in stages, showing how the Goddess of Everything Else subtly guides evolution and civilization, always finding ways to align her goals with the Goddess of Cancer's imperative to 'KILL CONSUME MULTIPLY CONQUER'. Through each stage - from single-celled organisms to complex civilizations and beyond - the Goddess of Everything Else gradually wins over creation, ultimately freeing humanity from the bonds of their original nature to pursue greater things across the stars. Shorter summary

In a post-apocalyptic world, a visitor to a technologically advanced town learns about an annual time anomaly that may be connected to the fall of the ancient civilization. Longer summary

The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world where advanced technology is rare and poorly understood. It follows Meical Dorn, a Lorekeeper from Great Rabda, as he visits Tal Aivon to trade for a 'sunblessing' (a functioning piece of old technology). During his visit, he learns about a mysterious annual event where time seems to move backwards for an hour. The Chief Lorekeeper of Tal Aivon, Fin Lerisas, explains his theory that this anomaly is a remnant of the ancient world's attempt to control time, which may have led to its downfall. The story ends with Meical leaving with a 'mather' (calculator) and a newfound fear of the mysteries of time. Shorter summary

The post describes the fictional world of Raikoth, its origin story, and its unique religion that combines aspects of Truth and Beauty. Longer summary

This post describes the fictional world of Raikoth, focusing on its history and religion. It begins with a hypothetical scenario of Roman philosophers colonizing Greenland, resulting in a unique society thousands of years later. The religion of Raikoth, called 'sumurhe', is then explained in detail. It recognizes two aspects of God: Truth and Beauty. The world is seen as an attempt to integrate these aspects, with humans as the interface. The religion includes two perspectives: Elith-mirta (Truth) and Ainai-mirta (Beauty), which should not be mixed. The post also touches on how this philosophy justifies Raikoth's state institutions and mentions the rich mythology underlying the religion. Shorter summary