Superstition vs Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Superstition vs Religion - Essay Example In previous times, culture was often seen in terms of opposition to nature. However, more recently the field of anthropology has tended to hold the view that in fact culture is nature. Therefore anthropologists have begun to shift their attentions away from an etic type comparison (an outsider's view) of cultures - in search of some kind of universal rule of cultural development - towards a more emic type (an insider's view) of approach that focuses on understanding aspects of culture in that particular culture's own terms. In other words, their focus is on a kind of 'cultural relativism' (1). Therefore, during the first part of this essay I will concentrate on an emic view of superstition and religion whilst examining examples of each. I will then go on to attempt an outline of the differences and similarities between the two before drawing conclusions on their continued importance to today's world. Superstition can be loosely defined as the belief in ideas that are not founded in e ither knowledge or reason. From an outsider's position, the term is often used in a somewhat derogative manner, referring to it in terms such as 'old wives tales'. Nonetheless, many superstitious practices date back to a pre-religious era and many people from various cultures still firmly believe that events can be predicted, often 2 based on the outcomes of previous events. For cultures steeped in superstitional practice, nothing has a 'natural cause' as such. Indeed every event was the work of spirits. These spirits could punish or reward, ruin or save the individuals of peoples. Let us take the example of the ritual practices and beliefs of the Azande tribe. If we were to study these practices from an etic standpoint, using techniques of ethnography for example, we could effectively explain every outcome in terms that would be outside the understanding of this tribe, but to us would effectively prove that the rain dance this tribe performs had no effect on the rain. However, at t he same time the peoples of this tribe could also effectively show that, if carried out correctly, this ritual could indeed affect the outcome of the rain. Here we have an example of cultural relativism. The practice of astrology is another area that falls into the category of superstition, simply because despite practitioners' attempts to tie the practice to precise mathematical formulas, it is not strictly based on scientific truths. However, proponents of astrology – including the areas of horoscope and Tarot readings – would claim the validity of the practice simply because of its long history. In fact, the use of horoscopes was first recorded in Ancient Mesopotamia where they were used to predict affairs of the state, while they became more individual-focused in Ancient Greece. So that is a basic outline of superstition, let us now take a closer look at religion. Religion has, in fact, historically been defined in various different (and often overlapping) ways. Mo reover, some definitions appear to be relatively broad whilst 3 others are somewhat narrower. For Example, the American theologian, Vergilius Ferm spoke of religion in terms of " effecting in some way†¦a vital adjustment to whatever is reacted to or regarded implicitly or explicitly as worthy of serious and ulterior concern" (qtd in Sweetman 4). More morally minded was the philosopher William James who spoke of religion as "a belief there is an unseen order, and that our supreme good lies in harmoniously adjusting ourselves thereto" (qtd in Sweetman 5). Thus, we see it is difficult to define religion in precise terms; however, we