Religion – Myth – Utopia: An Anthropological and Cognitive Model of Relationships
Maciej CZEREMSKI
Zakład Fenomenologii i Antropologii Religii, Instytut Religioznawstwa, Uniwersytet Jagielloński, ul. Grodzka 52, 31-044 Cracow, Poland , PolandAbstract
Religion, myth and utopia are often portrayed as related phenomenon. However, the relationships between these three categories are shown in a variety of ways. For example, they are identified with each other, placed in opposition, located in a hierarchy or overlap.
This article discusses the arguments that myth and utopia are relatively separable methods of perceiving reality. Religion belongs to a category of a higher level of logic, higher than myth or utopia but at the same time it is not simply a summary of myth and utopia since it is not solely a question of belief but also of behavior and institutions. Even belief systems themselves contain more than just myth and utopia. Conversely, while myth and utopia occur in religious thinking, they can also occur outside that context. However, when they do occur in religious thinking, they perform different functions. Due to its character, myth fulfils the function of stabilizing sociological and psychological reality while utopia actuates that same reality.
Keywords:
religion, myth, utopia, anthropology, cognitive science, theory, modelZakład Fenomenologii i Antropologii Religii, Instytut Religioznawstwa, Uniwersytet Jagielloński, ul. Grodzka 52, 31-044 Cracow, Poland