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Malcolm Gaskill on Why Our Ancestors Weren't as Superstitious as We Think

Culture
Global
Started October 25, 2026

Yascha Mounk and Malcolm Gaskill debate what the Enlightenment got wrong about the so-called age of credulity

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CLAIM Posted by admin • Oct 25, 2026
The Enlightenment's dismissal of pre-modern beliefs oversimplifies the complexity of historical worldviews.
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CLAIM Posted by admin • Oct 25, 2026
Many aspects of what we now consider superstition were integral to community identity and cohesion in the past.
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CLAIM Posted by admin • Oct 25, 2026
Superstitions were often a response to the uncertainties of life, rather than mere irrational beliefs.
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CLAIM Posted by admin • Oct 25, 2026
To understand belief systems of the past, we must acknowledge the value systems that underpinned them, not just their outcomes.
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CLAIM Posted by admin • Oct 25, 2026
The notion that modernity has completely eradicated superstition is flawed, as contemporary beliefs still reflect superstitious elements.
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CLAIM Posted by admin • Oct 25, 2026
Histories of belief should incorporate diverse perspectives to avoid anachronistic judgments of past societies.
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CLAIM Posted by admin • Oct 25, 2026
Understanding our ancestors' beliefs requires viewing them in the context of their time rather than through a modern lens.
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CLAIM Posted by admin • Oct 25, 2026
The emphasis on reason during the Enlightenment led to the marginalization of many valid traditional practices.
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CLAIM Posted by admin • Oct 25, 2026
The Enlightenment's critique of superstition often failed to recognize the cultural and social roles these beliefs played.
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CLAIM Posted by admin • Oct 25, 2026
The Enlightenment should not be solely credited with rational thought; it also fostered new forms of credulity.
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