From: jimruttshow8596
The fundamental aspect of being human is storytelling [00:05:48]. Philosophy, in this context, is defined as narratology, which is essentially meta-storytelling – examining the types and purposes of stories human beings tell about themselves and each other [00:06:12].
Narratological Triad: Logos, Mythos, and Pathos
Human beings interpret and understand the world through three different “brains” that correspond to three approaches to storytelling: Logos, Mythos, and Pathos [01:04:16].
- Logos is the rational brain, dealing with calculations, factual truth, and making sense of the world [01:04:23].
- Pathos relates to emotions and feelings, driving desires like wanting to live or fight death, and encompasses purposes, meaning, and sexuality [01:04:36]. Pathal narratives are direct and brutal, showing reality without analysis [01:04:47].
- Mythos is the mimetic (social) brain [01:05:37]. It is the only way to temporarily unify Logos and Pathos [01:04:56], [01:11:22].
The mimetic brain is crucial for social relations, consuming a significant amount of brainpower in social creatures like humans to maintain the social fabric [01:05:45]. Evolutionary primatologists suggest that the large human brain was likely driven by the need for social calculation for larger groups or clans [01:05:53]. Women, on average, have a larger mimetic brain, while men have larger emotional and rational brains, which may have developed due to roles in war and hunting [01:06:28]. Homosexuality is equally prevalent across human populations, with gay men often having a larger mimetic brain, excelling in social relations and communication [01:07:08]. Lesbian couples, meanwhile, can embody the Logos and Pathos aspects [01:07:34].
Societal Role of Mythos and Beliefs
Mythos is the quickest way to unite and create shared narratives for any larger population [01:12:06]. Historically, Mythos served as a social glue [00:07:58]. For example, early religions in Mesopotamia emerged to curb rampant bloodshed, with priests inventing shared ancestral stories (like Abraham) to create a common identity and enable peaceful coexistence and trade [01:12:13]. Religion put a break on bloodshed by being a myth [01:13:51].
However, problems arise when people literally believe their Mythos and turn it into dogma [01:10:11], [01:13:57]. This can lead to conflicts, as seen in the Middle East with groups seeking Armageddon due to literal interpretations of their beliefs [01:10:25]. While Mythos is useful, it should remain at the level of fiction [01:14:25]. Daniel Dennett suggests that religion, acting as a “memeplex,” is adaptive because it can change faster than genes and increases group coherence, even making people willing to die for their beliefs [01:15:11].
The concept of the barred absolute is introduced, suggesting that certain truths or knowledge are inaccessible to individuals, either because they are not ready or because they are inherently blind to their own subjectivity [01:21:11]. This concept can be applied to situations where people are unable to grasp complex realities or engage in meaningful discourse due to their rigid adherence to a Mythos [01:21:46]. It functions as a way to delineate what is beyond comprehension or appropriate access, similar to protecting children from child pornography or setting standards for entry into certain communities [01:22:30].
However, the ideal societal state would minimize the barred absolute through radical transparency and education, allowing for a deeper understanding of reality rather than reliance on simplified, literal myths [01:23:31], [01:23:51].
The Sozion and Shared Narratives
The “Sozion” is a Darwinian form prevalent in any Homo sapiens population, representing a fundamental unit of social organization [01:11:48], [01:10:00]. It exists on two levels: the clan (around 150 people) and the tribe (1200-1500 people) [01:10:20]. These groups are characterized by people who socialize and have a shared story or narrative [01:10:38]. Historically, up to tribal size, societies did not require a police force because loyalty and shared narratives fostered strong social cohesion [01:10:51]. Feeling a clear role and serving the social unit provides individuals with meaning and purpose [01:11:57].
The challenge arises when scaling the Sozion to larger populations (nations, cities, empires), which necessitate external controls like police, law enforcement, and military forces [01:13:09]. This is because humans are not naturally predisposed to show loyalty to entities larger than the Sozion [01:13:51].
Process and Event in Belief Systems
Societies oscillate between a “nomadological” or process-oriented worldview, where everything cyclically returns to the same (e.g., seasons, birth-death cycles), and an “eventological” perspective, where deliberate actions and change create new possibilities [00:22:01], [00:22:21].
Historically, Eastern cultures (Indian, Chinese) leaned towards the process, emphasizing repetition and the cyclical nature of existence, which eventually led to stagnation and susceptibility to conquest [00:27:28]. Western cultures, influenced by Christianity and Islam, embraced the event, focusing on singular, transformative occurrences (e.g., Christ’s resurrection, Muhammad’s actions) [00:26:26]. The problem for Western religions is that they subsequently became obsessed with repeating that singular event, turning it into a ritualistic process that negates true change [00:28:35].
A complete metaphysics must acknowledge both process and event, as the world consists of both repetitions and differences [00:26:31]. The tension between Logos, Mythos, and Pathos reflects this dynamic, with Mythos providing temporary unification that is prone to becoming rigid dogma if not kept in its proper place as a narrative tool [01:11:22].
The Future of Belief Systems
The age of mass religion, especially those tied to simple dogma and the printing press, is seen as ending with the advent of the internet [01:16:51]. The hope is that the internet will devastatingly “slaughter” these popular mass religions, allowing for a secularization that enables spirituality without literal belief in myths [01:17:03]. This would allow for a more nuanced approach to belief, where myths are understood as useful fictions rather than literal truths [01:17:37].
In a future society, known as “coherent pluralism,” distinct communities or “membranes” can exist with their own “strong sauces” or rules, as long as they adhere to a small number of agreed-upon protocols and tolerate other membranes [01:43:31], [01:44:31]. This allows for diverse ways of living and finding meaning, without the need for a single, universal belief system [01:44:44]. The objective is to empower humans to live within ecological limits and enhance human well-being, while rejecting simplistic solutions and top-down control [01:44:48], [01:48:57]. This decentralized approach leverages technology to prevent tyranny and promote self-control over algorithms and AI [01:49:45]. This approach aims to avoid the “boy pharaoh” (charismatic sociopath) and the “pillar saint” (ideological big man) who seek to dominate through force or belief [01:53:57].