From Closed Societies to the Open Society : Parochial Altruism and Christian Universalism

Recent research on human altruism has shown that altruism often relies on a common enmity vis-�-vis other groups, which strengthens internal cohesion. Today this typical pattern of human solidarity is called ?parochial altruism,? and it is seen as referring back to the origin of human civilization....

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Palaver, Wolfgang 1958- (Author) ; Williams, Rowan 1950- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2015
In: Can we survive our origins?
Year: 2015, Pages: 97-114
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Girard, René 1923-2015
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Summary:Recent research on human altruism has shown that altruism often relies on a common enmity vis-�-vis other groups, which strengthens internal cohesion. Today this typical pattern of human solidarity is called ?parochial altruism,? and it is seen as referring back to the origin of human civilization. The French philosopher Henri Bergson mentions such a pattern in his description of closed societies, representing the first stage of human evolution. According to Bergson, closed societies were characterized by a static religion fostering a parochial altruism. With the help of Ren� Girard?s mimetic theory it is not too difficult to interpret these societies
ISBN:9781628960341
Contains:Enthalten in: Can we survive our origins?
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.14321/j.ctt14bs0q3.10