THE LAYER CAKE OF SOCIAL ORDER RELIGION Religion evolved to provide understandin

THE LAYER CAKE OF SOCIAL ORDER

RELIGION

Religion evolved to provide understanding of the word, virtues to imitate, and general prohibitions, across clans, tribes, and conquered nations, so that people could cooperate more easily and retaliate (feud) less frequently.

Weapon: ostracization (death sentence)

Records: memory of locals.

LAW

Law evolved to standardize punishments across clans, tribes, and conquered nations, to keep the peace, preserve productivity, preserve taxation, and legitimize (provide value by) rule.

Weapon: violence, deprivation

Records: written ledgers of crimes and punishments.

CREDIT

Credit rule evolved to increase productivity by the promise of consumption in the present, such that the primary form of social punishment was loss of consumption, status, and signaling.

Weapon: deprivation of consumption, status, and signaling.

Records: written and electronic records of creditworthiness.