coberst

Have you ever doubted anthropomorphic polytheism?

Those individuals who comprehend such things, in this case I am speaking of art historians in general and Alois Riegl in particular, inform me that the worldview of primitive wo/man at the very beginnings of human history was founded upon an infinite polytheism. That is to say that “everything in nature that moved, grew, and died without agency—or even against the will—of man seemed superior to him for its autonomy of existence and will. Everything in nature was therefore a god.”

At some crucial moment in human progress wo/man developed a more secure conception of her relationship with the world. When s/he began to confine their mutual perception to individual phenomena of nature that appeared to be the strongest and most frightening they became more assured of their power to prevail in many contests. “With that shift, we find ourselves standing in the very first period of history: the first opportunity has opened up to activate desired improvements of nature.”

This began a natural progression for humanity. As s/he recognized the ability to overcome the most ferocious and deadly of all animals wo/man came to recognize a degree of superiority over nature. “At the same time, he still had to acknowledge behind every natural phenomenon the presence of a driving, animating force far removed from human perception or control…A distinction yet unknown to primitive peoples, who ascribed an autonomous will to everything in nature.”

Wo/man recognized a dichotomy between that which they had some significant control to that which they could only reason to be underlying the appearance reached through human visual faculties. Humans recognized here the natural that could be readily perceived, but also recognized that there was much more that humans could only imagine but not perceive or control. S/he could only imagine these reasoned realities and naturally imagined them to be endowed with sensible human form; the only form imaginable at this time in human development.

“Only human form could appear worthy of a force superior to human beings. Thus was born anthropomorphic polytheism, which the Greeks would bring to its fullest perfection.” Henceforth we humans could envision those forces superior to our own must be envisioned as in human form but unencumbered by our shortcomings in matters of beauty and mortality.

Quotes from Historical Grammar of the Visual Arts by Alois Riegl

pensacola_niceman

It's difficult to doubt something when you have idea what it is.

waitingtables

I think that a chunk of history has been left out in that analysis. There are many examples of cave art found in Europe that date back to the Paleolithic. And there are clear examples of the people believing in the mother Goddess, which is the earliest depiction of any "divinity" to be found on the planet, basically. It was later that divinity was seen as anthropomorphically polytheistic.

Zack

In some disconnected tribes shamans are the connection to the spirit world and the spirit may manifest itself in forms other than that of man.

The nations of the north near the black sea have fairy tales of spirits, women coming onto land after thrashing around in the cold sea and having a good and evil battle as a base for their spirit connection.

The people of Tibet see all nature as infinite polytheism as you describe in your first paragraph and see birds as the carrier of the human spirit... when humans die they place them in areas were the birds may eat them as an offer to those who carry the human spirit between generations.

coberst

Art is a vehicle for following the worldview of humanity from 35,000 years ago to the present. The better we understand why we do the things we do the more likely that we, as a species, can survive a few more centuries.

Our lack of comprehension regarding the problems of relating to one another peacefully, i.e. morality, is the major reason that we may well self destruct any day now.

onthefence

Nope, can't say that I have.

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Props to Tadpole for starting "The Poster Thread"!

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Zack

Art and the personal desire to associate with art in my opinion is equal to worship of Gods... art in any form is closer to perfect and desired by more people, it doesn't matter if it manifest itself as a spirit, a corvette, an entertainer or art work people want to associate with it because it is appreciated higher than they are and that they have found themselves to be limited to.

Quote:

Our lack of comprehension regarding the problems of relating to one another peacefully, i.e. morality, is the major reason that we may well self destruct any day now.

The people with the strongest God will always defeat the people with the the lesser God. People always have differences and the people that are unified by association with a singular higher power are more likely to win than people that don't have such unity and purpose. Islam will win regardless if we surrender to them, beg them, give them gifts, change our ways... unless we destroy them with their unity to a higher God they will not stop. The morals will be judged by the higher God.