Die Autonomie des Rituals

Why do people perform rituals? Because they work. As social glue or to strengthen social relationships. Because it's fun or because it pleases the gods. Above all, because they are a staging of permanence. By submitting to rituals, humans refer to their own laws. And to the (often unacknowledged) meaning of staging timelessness in order to escape the contingency of life. In rituals, one can conceal all motives as long as one adheres to the rules. The ritual also demonstrates its autonomy here, demanding adaptation to the point of submission. Despite all the dynamics, rituals are ultimately about preservation. For better or for worse.