If it is not bred out, then the role of cultural solidifiers is superfluous. If it is bred out, or even attenuated, it is unclear why that should be. In any event, there are not arbitrary agglomerations of herds, peppered with liberal individuals. Rather, it depends on actual doctrine and historical interaction. For example, most Jews in Poland were Orthodox, and many were Hasidic. This was partly a function of rural conservatism, and partly a function of Polish discrimination making assimilation difficult. In the United States, Eastern European Jews from similar conditions became, within a generation or two, non- Orthodox, whether Conservative, Reform, or secular, and largely assimilated to the surrounding society. Now, within about three generations, almost half of the Jewish population intermarries. Obviously, there was no "herd instinct" among Eastern European Jewry, but historical conditions that changed........
And I think there must be a dynamic tension between knowledge and strength.
So civilization is, as I have said, probably non- adaptive? Thanks.......
I agree that singers, actors, poets, and painters provide us with something of value, and they are commonly celebrated more than plumbers or grocers. Why are activities which are, at least, less obviously useful esteemed more highly? |
