Quote:
Originally Posted by jwb
Really? Religion isn't more niche than hierarchy? Religion itself uses hierarchical structures.
Religion hasn't even become obsolete, it's just less powerful than it once was. Specifically in the west and certain Asian countries. But vast swaths of the globe still live with religion dominating their lives to this day. And in the west, the basic need for spirituality remains part of the human condition and modernity has only shifted the way that we find outlets for that.
Hierarchy is even more entrenched and is applied to virtually every form of human organization and cooperation. The fact that it can pose problems doesn't mean it's obsolete. For it to be obsolete you need a viable alternative that can outcompete and outperform hierarchical structures. I'm
not sure that's even possible, but if it is we're a long way from it at this point.
|
religion as an institution is more niche than hierarchy, but the aspect of dealing with death and other unknown things (which is still a part of it) is as fundamental as it gets, I think. Of course neither religion nor hierarchy has become obsolete, but I think it could be. At least religion, with hierarchy I'm not so sure