Clifford Geertz’s essay Ethos, World View, and the Analysis of Sacred Symbols expands on his symbolic anthropology framework by examining how religious symbols function to create coherence between a society’s moral values (ethos) and its perception of reality (worldview). His central argument is that religion operates as a bridge between these two domains, shaping both how people see the world and how they believe they should behave within it.
Geertz begins by distinguishing between ethos and worldview. A society’s ethos refers to its moral and aesthetic style—its prevailing attitudes, moods, and values—while its worldview is its fundamental understanding of reality, including conceptions of nature, self, and society. The power of religion, he argues, lies in its ability to fuse these two elements into a single, self-reinforcing system. Religious symbols achieve this by making moral values seem like inevitable reflections of reality, rather than socially constructed norms.
For example, Geertz discusses how different societies construct moral universes in which their cultural values appear natural and necessary. Among the Azande of Africa, misfortune is attributed to witchcraft, reinforcing a pragmatic response to evil through divination. Among the Javanese, evil is linked to unregulated passion, reinforcing ideals of detachment and self-discipline. These examples illustrate how religious systems validate cultural values by embedding them within seemingly objective metaphysical truths.
A particularly insightful aspect of the chapter is Geertz’s analysis of sacred symbols as mediators of experience. He argues that religious symbols, whether they take the form of myths, rituals, or artistic expressions, do more than communicate beliefs—they shape emotional responses and create a sense of experiential reality. The meaning of symbols is often more felt than consciously articulated, giving them a powerful psychological and social function. For instance, the circular imagery in Sioux culture connects spiritual, moral, and existential concepts in a way that is deeply embedded in everyday life
Geertz’s work here is a significant contribution to anthropology, moving beyond structuralist and functionalist interpretations of religion. While Durkheim saw religion as reinforcing social cohesion and Weber viewed it as a driver of social change, Geertz emphasizes its role as a meaning-making system. His interpretive approach is invaluable for understanding not only traditional societies but also contemporary religious experiences, where symbols continue to mediate between ethical norms and existential realities.
However, one critique of Geertz’s analysis is that it largely ignores power structures. His focus on meaning and symbols risks overlooking how religious systems can be shaped by elite interests or serve as mechanisms of control. Additionally, while he convincingly argues that religious symbols create coherence, he does not fully explore cases where they generate conflict—such as when different groups interpret the same symbols in radically different ways.
Despite these limitations, Ethos, World View, and the Analysis of Sacred Symbols remains a foundational text in the study of religion and culture. Geertz’s ability to illuminate the deep connections between belief, morality, and perception continues to influence anthropological and sociological thought.
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