The only taboo shared by each civilization is letting people determine their own taboos
It is sometimes mistakenly stated that there are no universal taboos. This is not true. There is one omni-purpose taboo which exists in every tribe. That taboo stipulates that sexual role shall not be unregulated by the tribe. That is, even though no other taboos are universal, the taboo against living without taboos remains constant. Every tribe has its own set of verbots and thou-shalt-nots, but no tribe allows the individual to choose his or her own set. An American President may not marry his own sister (if he wants to get re-elected); an Egyptian Pharaoh had to marry his own sister. Confronted by this moral relativism, many social scientists have failed to notice the invariable: both the President and the Pharaoh are expected to obey local rules.
References
- Wilson, A., Robert. (1983). Prometheus Rising Chapter 8 The Moral Socio-Sexual Circuit (Location 1417). Grand Junction, Colorado: Hilaritas Press.
Metadata
Type:🔴 Tags: Sociology / Sociobiology / Ethology / Psychology / Evolutionary Psychology / Politics Status:☀️