ICR NO. 32 - RITUAL FROM THE STONE AGE TO THE PRESENT DAY



Octagon Press, London

Ritual is one of the earliest expressions of human thought. It is enormously durable and may also be invented as needed. Like magic and superstition, ritual is at its most forceful in those situations that are outside our control, such as rites governing death, or at times when our emotions are raised. They allow us to cope with the unbearable. However, once invented, they can easily become a straitjacket that cannot be left behind by the individual or group even after their disadvantages outweigh their usefulness. This is one of several selected monographs presented by the Institute for Cultural Research (London).