None of this was true of the rest of the world. And although most of the old World's religions too were outfitted with ethical codes, afterlife incentives, notions of free will, and moral universalism, they did not promote individualism or individual identity. They promoted arranged- and polygamous marriages within the context of kin-based institutions, in which shared land and inheritances were expected.
As a result, until the last forty years, when China began its miraculous economic ascendency, for the last half millennia, WEIRD people have occupied an enviable pedestal at the top of the socio-cultural mountain top. Today, without either democracy or religion, China has stole the Western playbook and is using it against them. In another generation this book will have to be rewritten.
Other than over-reliance on questionable correlational analyses, there is a lot to like about the author's theorizing and descriptive analysis. Four Stars
(Article changed on Mar 23, 2021 at 7:49 AM EDT)
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