We think rationalism is an invention of modernity. Somehow rationalism is connected to industrialization and prosperity, to freedom and happiness. Due to our logical thinking we can understand the world and, because we understand is, we can dominate it and arrange it to our wellbeing. It is logical thinking, the denouncing of superstition and witchcraft, that distinguishes Western civilization from its medieval ancestors (and from non-western societies). Isn’t it?
Ancient societies
Large complex societies have developed after the emergence of agriculture, 10,000 years ago. In order to function the Kings of these societies needed to maintain some form of administration. They raised taxes over the agricultural society and with the revenue they payed an army. The army could enforce the tax paying, but those who honestly paid would benefit from their protection as well. So they needed to know how much each individual owed. They needed calculation, written language for archiving and communication purposes and a set of logical rules so the subdued, when willing to co-operate, would know what was expected from them.
Of course newly conquered tribes were not always willing to subdue. The King could use violence, capture them, torture them, kill them and that’s certainly what happened. But violence, in the end, is not very efficient: you need to pay your army to commit violence and the subdued population will not be very productive. Belief is much more efficient than fear or violence. If you manage to make the people believe they should obey and follow you they will offer their best efforts for you instead of seizing each chance for sabotage.
So religion, temples, conversion and powerful symbols have always been part of big empires. It provided the belief that they were part of something bigger, that the empire was given by God, not just the accomplishment of yet another bully, that living in the empire was a sacred thing rather than an opportunistic choice.
Egyptian Pyramids
I think the Egyptian Pyramids are one of the most beautiful examples of such religious symbols.
First there is the form. A pyramid is the perfect symbol of hierarchy. Everybody has to listen to the higher layers in the hierarchy. In the end the lines converge to one single point of truth in the top of the pyramid. Because of the convergence it makes the truth undeniable.
Of course there is the size of the pyramid, so huge that any human for that single reason would never think of doubting.
But there is more, the pyramid points to the sky, the seat of God and the real source of truth. So with all of its impressiveness the pyramid actually is only a derivative of an ever truer and more impressive truth: the truth of God.
By burying their ancestor in the pyramid it connects the Royal Family to God. The pyramid symbolizes the connection between the earth and sacred wisdom from the sky. The late King buried inside is undoubtedly connected to the current rulers through family ties so the current rulers have access to absolute truth, and by that to a firm justification of their power.
And even there it doesn’t stop, it really twinkled my imagination when I read about it: in the pyramid light-shafts have been found that connect the burial chamber to the outside. It appears these light-shafts enable a straight line between the most important stars and the mummy. It looks like it has been made to allow a straight beam of wisdom enter right into the middle of the pyramid.
Modernity
Basically what happened in the 17th Century:
- The Spanish empire, after conquering America, suffered imperial overstretch and slowly lost credibility.
- The Catholic Church, after the invention of the book press, was no longer able to maintain the monopoly on information.
Until them the Pope had been to Western Civilization what the Pharaohs had been to the Egyptian: the point where lines of power converge and where absolute truth can be found. After the Reformation the Protestants decided that, apparently, it can not be trusted to a living person to be the intermediate between the people and the sacred truth. Instead, they decided truth should be obtained by science and reasoning. This is what we call the enlightenment.
The concept of one truth, however, remained. It was no longer a truth connected to the current rulers or to any living person or even to a single country or religion. It became an abstract truth, a truth maybe isn’t accessible to us mortals, but a truth that is still there.
[...] Brilliant truth [...]