Pillar Tags, Cultural Core
William McNeill’s Plagues and Peoples argues that infectious diseases have profoundly shaped the course of human history, acting as agents of both destruction and societal transformation.
The book explores the long-term interplay between disease, human societies, and cultural development.
Dennis Tedlock’s translation of the Popol Vuh provides access to the foundational creation myth of the K’iche’ Maya, detailing the gods’ attempts to create humanity and the heroic journey of the Hero Twins. The book preserves a vital pre-Columbian Mesoamerican worldview.
Edward Burnett Tylor’s Primitive Culture establishes foundational concepts in anthropology, examining the development of beliefs and practices in non-European societies. It explores animism, totemism, and cultural evolution within a 19th-century colonial context.
Pox Americana details the devastating smallpox epidemic during the Revolutionary War, highlighting its impact on military strategy, diplomatic relations, and cultural beliefs.
The book explores how biological events intertwine with pivotal moments in history, revealing the human cost of conflict and the power of disease.
It offers a nuanced perspective on the epidemic’s disproportionate effect on Indigenous populations.
A seminal psychoanalytic exploration of ‘abjection’—the visceral reaction to things that collapse the boundaries between self and other. Kristeva examines how this primal disgust shapes religion, literature, and the human psyche.
Maurice Bloch’s *Prey into Hunter* explores the dynamics of ritual, demonstrating how they invert and ultimately reinforce social hierarchies through controlled displays of power and vulnerability.
The book offers a materialist perspective on ritual action, focusing on its practical effects on social relations.
It remains a key work in anthropological studies of power, violence and social control.
Walter Lippmann’s Public Opinion is a seminal work that explores the psychological and social forces shaping public belief in the modern age. It argues that public opinion is often based on stereotypes and secondhand information, rather than direct experience or rational thought.
Max Weber’s lecture dissects the essence of political action, contrasting it with other vocations and exploring the ethical complexities of power. The work remains a key text for understanding the dynamics of politics and leadership.
Douglas Rushkoff’s book investigates how coded systems impact our behavior and proposes ‘commands’ to foster critical engagement with technology.
It provides context from the early days of social media’s rise and anxieties over algorithmic control.
The work is for anyone interested in the psychological and societal effects of digital technology.
Carl Jung’s Psychology and Religion explores the psychological underpinnings of religious belief, examining the archetypes and symbols that manifest in religious experience.
This work provides a framework for understanding the enduring power of religion through the lens of analytical psychology.
