Master Narrative
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Master Narrative
A Master Narrative is a transhistorical, ideological storyline[1] that emerges within the boundaries of a Creation Template to direct and regulate social behavior, identity, and collective memory. Master Narratives provide cultural scripts that define who people are, how they should live, and what they should aspire to, often legitimizing existing power structures and social hierarchies.
Concept Map
Key Terms
Syncretic Terms
Related LP Terms
Master Narrative > Archetype Deck, Archetype System, Archetypes, Conceptual Framework, Symbol, System Architect
Non-LP Related Terms
Master Narrative > George Lucas, Hayao Miyazaki, Ideology, Indoctrination, Sacrilization
Narrative Types
Narrative > Elite Narrative, Existential Narrative, Functional Narrative, Master Narrative, Mundane Narrative, Sacred Narrative
Extended Exploration
Related Articles:
- Articles/Master-Narratives-and-Creation-Templates (Modification date"Modification date" is a predefined property that corresponds to the date of the last modification of a subject and is provided by Semantic MediaWiki.: 30 March 2025 23:41:27)
Notes
On the LP, we call master narratives Creation Templates to emphasize their creative/formative intent. That is, they are constructed to facilitate the creation of a certain reality.
Master narratives contain "powerful persuasive messages that not only resonate or “ring true,” but also compel a certain level of ideological identifi cation, behaviour, and actions."[2]
Master narratives are broadly accepted, readily understood, but rarely questioned.
Master narratives provide humans with meaning. They 'spring...from the nature of human beings to interpret the world around them through stories, ranging from the most abstract ideas of good and evil, to the use of those ideas to structure relations between humans, to the use of communication to conduct those relationships.'[3]
Master narratives do not emerge out of the primordial muck of consciousness. Neither are they epiphenomenal outgrowths of humanity's propensity to find meaning. Master narratives are deliberately created by elites who co-opt, colonize, control, and reshape the work of mystics and creatives into narratives that support their economic and political agendas. For example, a master narrative that casts God as a genocidal bully enables colonial violence, war, and control.[4]
On the LP, a master narrative is known as a Creation Template, a term that better highlights the intentional nature of master narratives. Creation templates are created to shape thinking, which in turn shapes behaviour, which in turn shapes reality.[5]
This planet is currently dominated by a colonial narrative that enables violence (violence in this system if justified, so long as it is aimed at "bad" people) and justifies accumulation. The dominant narrative, which appears in all western religions esoteric and exoteric, is rooted in Zoroastrian Frame. The Zoroastrian frame is an ancient system of Archetypes created by high priest Tanser at the behest of his Emperor master, Aradashir.[6]
Hayao Miyazaki criticizes the Western European master narrative, saying, quite correctly, that it enables violence, war, and genocide.[7]
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Footnotes
- ↑ Halverson, Jeffry R., H. L. Goodall, and Steven R. Corman. Master Narratives of Islamist Extremism. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. p. 15.
- ↑ Halverson, Jeffry R., H. L. Goodall, and Steven R. Corman. Master Narratives of Islamist Extremism. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. p. 13.
- ↑ Halverson, Jeffry R., H. L. Goodall, and Steven R. Corman. Master Narratives of Islamist Extremism. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. p. 15.
- ↑ Sosteric, Mike. “From Zoroaster to Star Wars, Jesus to Marx: The Art, Science, and Technology of Human Manipulation,” Unpublished. https://www.academia.edu/34504691.
- ↑ Sosteric, Mike. “A Short Sociology of Archetypes,” 2020. https://www.academia.edu/44254363/
- ↑ For the full story, read Iranian historian Mary Boyce's excellent Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Routledge, 2001 and Sosteric, Mike. “From Zoroaster to Star Wars, Jesus to Marx.” https://www.academia.edu/34504691.
- ↑ Nosa. “Why Hayao Miyazaki Hates Lord of the Rings and Other Hollywood Movies.” Fansided, 2022. https://hiddenremote.com/2022/04/18/hayao-miyazaki-hates-lord-of-the-rings/.