glyph 448: knowledge, truth, fact, belief, logic, science ... culturally justified false belief . solidarity, defensive psychology, traditional cultures, America, 1776; Britain, 1940; Russia 1941 ... Karl Popper

In The Culture Cult: Designer Tribalism and Other Essays, Roger Sandall writes of Ernest Gellner's efforts to understand why traditional cultures often rely on what Gellner calls culturally justified false beliefs:

One reason a supreme value is placed on solidarity derives from the advantages it offers in warrior societies ruled by force rather than by law, truth, and facts. This led Gellner to propose a universal principle: Logical coherence and social solidarity are inversely related. So the more solidarity you have, the less logic you get, and visa versa. —Sandall, pg. 12

https://explorersfoundation.org/glyphery/448.html
November 30, 2008; edited/updated August 25, 2024