The role of metacultures in the dynamics of western civilisational change
The role of metacultures in the dynamics of western civilisational change

Summary/Abstract: I examine a phenomenon called chthonic metaculture, looking for the answer how it influences the modern ecological trends, whether it is possible that their intellectual roots can be traced back to it. The major philosophical currents of the post-Reformation era, such as rationalism, contributed greatly to the displacement of chthonic metaculture from the public sphere. Since it was incompatible with the ethos of modernity as inherently irrational, it fell victim to the 'disenchantment of the world'. Yet the second half of the twentieth century witnessed the rise of chthonic metaculture, I am not claiming that all particular cultures - be they local, national or with any other label - have clearly identifiable religious traits of this process. What I do argue is that the spiritual orientation, for want of a better term, we call chthonic, nowadays has a wide-ranging impact in social, cultural and academic life.

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