Convenient Myths: The Axial Age, Dark Green Religion, and the World that Never Was

Contents

vii Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1 1 The Turning Point of History 7 The Axial Age 2 Serious People, Bad Ideas 19 An Inquisition on the Axial Age 3 Procrustes and His Bed 29 Mutilating the Facts to Fit a Theory 4 Happy Hunting (and Gathering) 41 The Dark Green Golden Age 5 Hard Times in the Paleolithic 57 Constant Battles and Unequal Rights 6 Ecologically Noble Ancestors? 69 Why Spiritual People Don’t Necessarily Look after Their Living Space 7 You Can’t Always Get What You Want 83 Desire (and Need) and the Past viii Contents 8 The Past Reloaded 95 A Brief History of Ancient Time 9 On Loving Your Dead Neighbor 107 Violence, Knowledge, and History 10 On Truth and Consequences 121 Why Myths about the Past Matter Notes 129 Bibliography 145 Author Index 155 Subject Index 157 ...