ericfj on Nostr: Exploring ideas with AI while reading good novels is fun: In Sapiens, Chapter 12 ...
Exploring ideas with AI while reading good novels is fun:
In Sapiens, Chapter 12 (“The Law of Religion”), Harari defines religion broadly as a system of human norms and values founded on belief in a superhuman order. According to his framework, Bitcoin can be considered a “religion” as follows:
1. Belief in a Superhuman Order:
Bitcoin relies on cryptographic principles and algorithmic trust—abstract concepts that exist independently of human whims. The trust in cryptographic math, decentralization, and scarcity mirrors religious faith in a higher, impersonal order.
2. Universal Norms and Shared Values:
Bitcoin communities share values such as decentralization, transparency, immutability, censorship resistance, and financial sovereignty. Adherents follow normative guidelines that emphasize self-custody, personal responsibility, and skepticism of centralized authority.
3. Collective Myths and Narratives:
Bitcoin is built upon foundational myths, such as the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, the origin story detailed in the Bitcoin whitepaper, and the narrative of financial liberation from corrupt institutions. These stories unify believers and provide a shared identity and purpose.
4. Rituals and Symbols:
Bitcoin culture includes rituals like “HODLing” (holding assets regardless of market conditions), symbolic actions such as celebrating Bitcoin “halving” events, and the widespread use of symbols (₿), language, memes, and art—analogous to religious rituals and symbolism.
5. Social Cohesion and Community Formation:
Bitcoin fosters tight-knit communities with a shared mission to promote adoption and resist established financial structures. Communities exhibit strong cohesion, solidarity, and identity markers, akin to religious congregations.
6. Missionary Zeal and Evangelism:
Bitcoin proponents often exhibit missionary zeal, spreading the “gospel” of decentralized money, advocating adoption, and converting skeptics—similar to religious evangelism.
By Harari’s broad definition of religion as collective belief in a superhuman, abstract order shaping human behavior and social structure, Bitcoin fits comfortably into a modern secular “religious” phenomenon.
In Sapiens, Chapter 12 (“The Law of Religion”), Harari defines religion broadly as a system of human norms and values founded on belief in a superhuman order. According to his framework, Bitcoin can be considered a “religion” as follows:
1. Belief in a Superhuman Order:
Bitcoin relies on cryptographic principles and algorithmic trust—abstract concepts that exist independently of human whims. The trust in cryptographic math, decentralization, and scarcity mirrors religious faith in a higher, impersonal order.
2. Universal Norms and Shared Values:
Bitcoin communities share values such as decentralization, transparency, immutability, censorship resistance, and financial sovereignty. Adherents follow normative guidelines that emphasize self-custody, personal responsibility, and skepticism of centralized authority.
3. Collective Myths and Narratives:
Bitcoin is built upon foundational myths, such as the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, the origin story detailed in the Bitcoin whitepaper, and the narrative of financial liberation from corrupt institutions. These stories unify believers and provide a shared identity and purpose.
4. Rituals and Symbols:
Bitcoin culture includes rituals like “HODLing” (holding assets regardless of market conditions), symbolic actions such as celebrating Bitcoin “halving” events, and the widespread use of symbols (₿), language, memes, and art—analogous to religious rituals and symbolism.
5. Social Cohesion and Community Formation:
Bitcoin fosters tight-knit communities with a shared mission to promote adoption and resist established financial structures. Communities exhibit strong cohesion, solidarity, and identity markers, akin to religious congregations.
6. Missionary Zeal and Evangelism:
Bitcoin proponents often exhibit missionary zeal, spreading the “gospel” of decentralized money, advocating adoption, and converting skeptics—similar to religious evangelism.
By Harari’s broad definition of religion as collective belief in a superhuman, abstract order shaping human behavior and social structure, Bitcoin fits comfortably into a modern secular “religious” phenomenon.