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Full Idea
Polytheism gave birth to monotheism, and to dualistic religions. Dualism explains that the entire universe is a battleground between good and evil forces, and everything that happens is part of that struggle.
Gist of Idea
Dualist religions see everything as a battleground of good and evil forces
Source
Yuval Noah Harari (Sapiens: brief history of humankind [2014], 12 'Battle')
Book Ref
Harari,Yuval Noah: 'Sapiens: a brief history of Humankind' [Vintage 2014], p.245
A Reaction
Presumably we are supposed to support the good guys, so the gods are not equals. God v Satan seems the right model, but Satan has to be beyond God's control, or else the problem of evil has to be solved. Empedocles held something like this.
Related Idea
Idea 552 Empedocles said good and evil were the basic principles [Empedocles, by Aristotle]
| 21262 | There must be at least two souls controlling the cosmos, one doing good, the other the opposite [Plato] |
| 23313 | The Gnostic demiurge (creator) is deluded, and doesn't care about us [Frede,M] |
| 23057 | Gnosticism has a supreme creator God, giving way to a possibly hostile Demiurge [Gray] |
| 20669 | Dualist religions see everything as a battleground of good and evil forces [Harari] |
| 20670 | Dualist religions say the cosmos is a battleground, so can’t explain its order [Harari] |
| 20673 | Manichaeans and Gnostics: good made spirit, evil made flesh [Harari] |