Psyche's task

A scholarly discourse argues that superstition, though commonly condemned, has contributed to the formation and maintenance of government, private property, marriage, and respect for human life by instilling reverence for rulers, fear of violating property and sexual norms, and dread of vengeful spirits. The argument is supported by comparative ethnographic examples from many regions and by analysis of how ritual and taboo enforce social order. An appended lecture outlines the scope of social anthropology, focusing on the study of primitive societies and survivals in folklore to illuminate the evolution of social institutions and the persistent influence of credulous beliefs.