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Yuval Noah Harari on Religion

born 1976 Israel

← All quotes by Yuval Noah Harari

9 quotes

Religion can thus be defined as a system of human laws that is founded on a belief in superhuman laws.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011)

religion has been the third great unifier of humankind, alongside money and empire.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011)

Religious holidays... have become shopping festivals.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011)

Religion can... be defined..[:] a system of human laws... founded on a belief in superhuman laws.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011)

majority of ancient religions were local and exclusive. Their followers believed in local deties and spirits, and had no interest in converting the entire human race.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011)

Animism is not a specific religion. It is a generic name for thousands of very different religions, cults and beliefs. What makes all of them 'animist' is this common approach to the world and man's place in it.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011)

Judaism had little to offer other nations, and throughout most of its existence... [was] not... a missionary religion.., [but] a 'local monotheism".

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011)

These [polytheistic] religions understood the world to be controlled by... powerful gods... Humans could appeal to these... to bring rain, victory... health.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011)

Traditional religions... were characterized by claiming to be infallible, that their holy book, their sacred tradition never makes any mistake.., therefore there is no mechanism... to identify and correct mistakes...factual, also moral mistakes.

The Collapse of Truth (2025)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Yuval Noah Harari (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.