Superstition
The term superstition is applied to beliefs and religious practices that are not their own, mostly orthodox doctrines correspond. He is equated in common parlance with irrationality and unscientific. In abrahamitisch - religiously shaped circles the term is used among peers to Aufzeigung lack of theological education, but also to the disparagement of popular and occult beliefs. Even critics of religion use the term in its negative connotation due but for all beliefs and religions. Because the term is defined by the prevailing world - view and beliefs ago, the content is determined by the relevant scientific or religious point of view of the actor.
Conceptual history
The term superstition is attested since the 15th century ( abergloube ). The word ' but ' meant, according to current etymological dictionaries view original "to see resist, behind " where it later took on a pejorative meaning and the opposite of designated what the second word component expressed, eg " folly ". The word came as Lehnübertragung the Latin concept of super- stm in use. The term was derived from faith after ( = Mißglaube ) and stood for " wrong", that is, of the Christian faith different, beliefs and shapes. Superstition was considered pagan, immoral and heretical.
The conversion of the Gentiles was completed in Europe though, but the local people's faith lived within certain limits further: magic, charms, Evil Eye, sacred trees and sacred groves should not distract from the true faith the Christians. In addition, they wanted to counteract the term superstition, the new pre-Reformation and sectarian influences. Church critics and dissenters, heretics, should thus be placed on the same level as witches and wizards. Also the knowledge of rules of the emerging science was defamed: knowledge or seeing wool instead of faith and trust was in the arrogance and fanaticism suspicion, that was contrary to Christian ethics.
The Greek philosopher Plutarch condemns everything as superstition what God placed under negative characteristics, namely the idea of hell.
Already Augustine took the term " superstitio " to characterize non-Christian religions. He laid the theoretical foundations of the medieval teaching about the history of superstition. In his work, De Civitate Dei, De doctrina christiana, De divinatione daemonum and De natura daemonum he dealt at length with the superstition. As Bishop of Hippo, he was especially confronted with the amulet faith, which represented a serious threat to Christianity in his opinion. His terminology and knowledge he took largely Marcus Terentius Varro. The doctrine of the demons he took essentially of the Neo-Platonists. Augustine was based on the real existence of demons. They crowded after him the world state ( " civitas terrene " or " civitas diaboli "). To avoid a dualistic world view, he explained to the demons as fallen from prehistoric times and repudiated by God angels. The magical practices were pagan in origin, and Augustine saw in superstition attempt to be provide with the help of the pagan gods that were identified with the demons security. So the superstition with the pagan idolatry was identified. Even Thomas Aquinas understood superstition as moral, intellectual and religious decay. The idolatry he interpreted as a form of " superstitio ", but also dealt with superstitious forms of right to be Christian worship; they were not the less sinful.
During the Enlightenment, a fundamental change occurred: In place of the question of the true faith efforts to determine the scope of rational judgment and scientific principles came. Superstition was considered a deviation of reason and was primarily a historical and social formation problem. The Enlightenment taught to defend yourself against religious superstition and developed a " religion of reason ". Immanuel Kant said something like: " Superstition is the slope, in what zugehend supposedly as a non-natural way is to put greater trust than what can be explained by natural laws - whether in the physical or moral. " Today, the term superstition - correspond to beliefs and practices that are scientifically unfounded and not the achieved level of knowledge of a society - for a definition of social psychologists Judd marble.
Characteristics
In the secular realm is called superstition either a control knowledge that is actually not confirmed or not confirmed, or an interpretation of mechanisms as social actions (such natural phenomena as the behavior of nature spirits ). This judgment may be meant either derogatory or jokingly ( illusion willingness conscious of the illusion ).
Superstition is also caused by the incorrect linking of cause and effect. The magazine brain & mind wrote in 2009: " People tend to the idea, simultaneous events are causally linked, even though they are independent of each other in reality ." For once or twice temporal coincidence of two events a causal connection would be adopted so that superstitious behavior arises relatively quickly. Conversely need it many times of not meeting to dispel this suspicion again.
A background of many secular forms of superstition is the so-called " popular belief ", in which case the line between misuse and lack of information situation is hard to see - such as the so-called proverbs, empirical data, household and agriculture are taught to those in part, to some extent, however, also weather forecasts are operated.
Evidence that beliefs of conventions are dependent and therefore not objective, it does in the Western world often to superstition. In contrast, many cultures outside Europe not yet know the term " superstition ", the exclusive notion of a " right belief ".
Causes
Worldview
Most have a process called superstitious worldview a less self-contained structure when it was constructed, for example by the scholastics for the Catholic Church or the scientism of his followers. There are strong regional differences - but blurred more and more by modern media and the newer ways of communication. The individual game species boundaries against each other less significantly from than is the case with the religions. However, this does not necessarily mean that there is a greater tolerance between competing forms of superstition.
The reason for the lack of backbone is often seen in the Christianization of the original people of faith, whereby the base was lost and only rituals such as the New Year's Eve shooting or individual ceremonies continued during funerals, for example, or hid themselves as Catholic saints approved faith.
Superstition supplies due to the narrative embedding its content still many references to the socio-cultural knowledge of ancient cultures and is the object of numerous ethnological research. From an ethnological point of view, one can say that faith then to superstition, when he can no longer keep pace with the socio-cultural development.
Psychology
In psychology, superstition is closely related to concepts such as magical thinking, self-fulfilling prophecy, " the myth of their own invulnerability " (see safety at work), belief in the " fool-proof system " at gambling (see probability). It arises for example in indeterministic experiments (eg the filmed by Burrhus Frederic Skinner experiments with pigeons and the so-called superstitious rats). Superstition and magic practices are also developmentally relevant because children can turn to a magical and superstitious world view in a so-called phase of egocentrism.
The psychologist and parapsychologist Hans Bender called a critical- scientific study of superstition, as he suspected behind a hitherto unexplored collective knowledge of different cultures in the sense of he postulated uniformity of the occult.
Rituals and customs
But faith is often a form of traditional repeated, habitualized social actions and practices that once were connected under certain circumstances with meaning, but later became meaningless rituals. Also superstitions are more common than in others, suggesting a social function of superstition in certain milieus. Especially in occupational groups that are very dependent on external circumstances, a quite lively and ritualized superstition is often typical, as seamen, farmers, soldiers at war, performing or risky professions (eg actors, singers, gamblers, athletes, etc. ). This points to a security -creating psychological function of superstition. Also, he is in all societies there frequently, where the chances of survival are low ( see Sub- layer), and then manifests itself in particular forms of behavior in the context of lotteries and the like.
Often a private superstition from the combination of certain success or misfortune experiences with accidental concomitants, between which then a causal link is created is created. An example of this is the "lucky socks " (or any other piece of clothing or accessory ), who stands by her carrier on certain occasions, when he carries with him.