Is God a Schelling Point?
On Abraham, Morality, and Individualism
You can read about Schelling points here and here. A Schelling point is a focal point that people flock to in the absence of the ability to communicate about where to meet.
Morality is a Schelling point insofar as much of it is implicit, rather than codified. People assume others know the code and abide by it, even though they don’t discuss it or agree to it before every encounter.
How do I know my neighbor is a friend and not a foe, that the car next me won’t intentionally swerve into me? I don’t, really. But game theory tells me it’s more likely than not that they share some of the same motivations and intuitions as me, so I keep calm and carry on.
In Genesis 20, Abraham lies to Avimelech that his wife, Sarah, is his sister. Asked why, Abraham says, “Because I thought: Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me…” Abraham is saying that there is no Schelling point, no moral place he can gather with Avimelech in the absence of coordination. Notably, the way he says this is that “the fear of God is not in this place.”
Does this mean that any place where a stranger can safely assume he won’t be killed and his wife taken by a local power is one that has “fear of God”? Or is Abraham’s assumption incorrect; Avimelech abides by norms of common decency, even if he doesn’t fear God?
Assuming that God and religion were Schelling points for thousands of years, what, if anything takes their place? Is the modern Enlightenment, with its appeals to universal reason and basic human rights a new Schelling point, or are the challenges of modern life attributable in part to a lack of coordination caused by what Nietzsche called the “twilight of the idols”?
It’s worth considering that theology and philosophy, aside from their truth content, have the advantage of coordinating behavior. If individualism bucks traditional ways of thinking, does it not pay a price in coordination costs?
What are the ideological Schelling points of the West today, if any? Capitalism? Celebrity culture? Internet memes? Political affiliation?
Please note, none of the above constitutes investment advice:;
Zohar
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