The Flinchum File

Thoughtful Economic Analysis and Existential Opinions
Subscribe to the Flinchum File
View Archives

Sociological Wisdom ??

James Davison Hunter is a brilliant sociologist at the University of Virginia.  As he is an excellent but prolific writer, I have barely begun reading everything he has produced.  But, my thinking has already started to evolve.

There are military wars, and there are culture wars.  Military wars are usually caused by tribal conflicts or economic conflicts.  Culture wars are more complicated.  Because religions have been in conflict for centuries, we assume that conflict continues.  However, conflict today is less between religions and is greater within religions.  For example, there is more conflict between traditional Protestants and non-traditional Protestants and there is less conflict between, say, Protestants and Catholics.  The same tension exists within Islam and within the Jewish faith.  
Describing this as conflict between conservatives and progressives is not helpful.  The division does not focus on the degree of centralized power.  It is more about the use of power to find truth.  Traditionalists find truth in the past and believe traditions are useful and reassuring.  Futurists find truth within individuals and believe traditions are interesting but restrictive.
As an example, traditionalists within the Protestant faith have more in common with traditionalists in the Catholic faith or the Jewish faith or even within Islam than one would expect.  While the trappings and traditions may vary, all wish to cherish the lessons of the past.  Likewise, the non-traditionalist or futurist wing of the four main religions have more in common with each other than with the the traditionalist wing of their own religion.  The futurists don’t want “somebody else’s truth.”  
The conflict between traditionalists and futurists rarely leads to military war but is the predicate to culture wars.  In the U.S., the culture war is not between Republicans and Democrats.  Our culture war is between traditional Republicans and futurist Republicans, likewise for Democrats.  Because the conflict over truth takes place within the unrelated, arbitrary organisational structure of Republicans and Democrats, it is extremely unlikely there will be military conflict.  The conflict over truth is submerged in and contained by the phony political conflict between Republicans and Democrats.
Dr. Hunter, forgive me for my loosely-written interpretations, but I thank you anyway!