To believe is perhaps key to enter this realm of love. The word "belief" has the same root in Old German as "love". The modern skeptic who suspends belief for the sake of scientific objectivity handicaps himself. He will never enter this subjective realm of love, the so-called kingdom no matter how close it lies, without belief. Belief systems are important parts or so-called premodern societies. One cannot build a model of such societies from the ground up but need to include a top-down view based on their religious system. What we know on the ground and what we do not know above both affect us. There has always been a split between idealistic and materialistic approaches in anthropology. However, social organization is dependent on emotions which are as much affected by ideas as by material factors. How empathy is managed is a significant aspect of social and cultural behavior. I am working on my first case of love among the Truk Islanders in the South Pacific and hope to report on them in my next email.
All the best,
Tad
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