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Religion

California State University, Dominguez Hills
Created: July 9, 2001
Latest update: July 12, 2001
jeannecurran@habermas.org.

On Saturday, July 14, 2001, Vunch posted on PSN:

From: Vunch
Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2001 00:01:34 EDT
Subject: Re: Religion/Frankfurt School
CC: psn@csf.colorado.edu

In a message dated 7/13/2001 5:07:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time, twright writes:

We all too often rely upon "rational" arguments and ignore the relationship of power and emotions.

In Durkheim's treatise on religion, he repeatedly writes about how astounding and incredulous are the beliefs of different peoples which are obviously illogical and contradictory. The beliefs are maintained in place by power claims backing up normative expectations. But, what is incredible is that so rarely during history have individuals opposed their culture's religion. When Galileo was under house arrest by the Catholic Church, Descartes threw his papers on astronomy away! and subsequently provided a proof of the existence of God! I do believe that the Frankfurters are correct about their assumptions of the predominance of power and emotion. But, notice that group formation, in-group/out-group coalitions, is often constructed as a scape-goating operation and rarely as a truth orientation? There is something about the nature of our logical thinking that is inhibited by social conditions and there is something about socializing with others that promotes contradictions between beliefs and knowledge.

FWelfare

On July 14, 2001, jeanne wrote:

This is at: http://csf.colorado.edu/mail/psn/2001/msg00519.html. I think we need to discuss this. I have zero time right now, but thought you might like to start thinking about it. Check PSN for additional posts on this.

lnp jeanne