--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great political, artistic, and…" description: "\"“The great political, artistic, and religious project of modernity has been to find a meaning to life that is not rooted in some great cosmic plan. ......" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/yuval-noah-harari-100_believe-in-god_the-great-political-artistic-and-religio_2370390.jpg" --- # The great political, artistic, and religious project of… ![“The great political, artistic, and religious project of modernity has been to find a meaning to life that is not rooted in some great cosmic plan. ...But we are still convinced our lives have meaning. As of 2016, humankind indeed manages to hold the stick at both ends. Not only do we possess far…” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/yuval-noah-harari-100_believe-in-god_the-great-political-artistic-and-religio_2370390.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/yuval-noah-harari-100_believe-in-god_the-great-political-artistic-and-religio_2370390.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/yuval-noah-harari-100_believe-in-god_the-great-political-artistic-and-religio_2370390.jpg) > ““The great political, artistic, and religious project of modernity has been to find a meaning to life that is not rooted in some great cosmic plan. ...But we are still convinced our lives have meaning. As of 2016, humankind indeed manages to hold the stick at both ends. Not only do we possess far more power than ever before, but against all expectations. God's death did not lead to social collapse. Throughout history prophets and philosophers have argued that if humans stopped believing in a great cosmic plan all law and order would vanish. Yet today, those who pose the greatest threat to global law and order are precisely those people who continue to believe in God and his all-encompassing plans.”” [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modernity seeks meaning without a cosmic plan, yet belief in divine order still fuels global threats. **In simple terms:** People look for meaning beyond a grand design, but faith can drive danger. Key Takeaway Question how belief shapes power and stability. Themes meaning secularism power religion society Mood analytical critical thought‑provoking Type philosophical political sociological When to use this quote - global governance - religious extremism - secular movements - ethical debates Key Concepts existentialism political theory social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does loss of a cosmic narrative affect moral frameworks? - Can secular meaning replace religious authority? A Different Perspective Faith can both stabilize and destabilize societies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe in god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-in-god/) [Humankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humankind/) [Law and order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-and-order/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Modernity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modernity/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“Modern culture rejects this belief in a great cosmic plan. We are not actors in any larger-than-life drama. Life has no script, no playwright,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/modern-culture-rejects-this-belief-in-a-great-cosmic-plan-we-are-not/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“It's life's failure and its deficiencies that make someone a daydreamer. 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Death of the body is the cutting off of communication between spirit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watchman-nee/death-of-the-spirit-is-the-cessation-of-its-communication-with-god/) [Watchman Nee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watchman-nee/) > [“if you were planning on living forever by tying up the god of death and stuffing him under your bed, you’re out of luck.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/if-you-were-planning-on-living-forever-by-tying-up-the-god-of-death/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [ “To be more precise... death is \[contrary to\] God, and if death is natural, if it is the ultimate truth about life and about… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-schmemann/to-be-more-precise-death-is-contrary-to-god-and-if-death-is-natural/) [Alexander Schmemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-schmemann/) > [They's a heap more to God's will than death, disapoint-ment, and like thet. 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We invented them to serve us; why do we find ourselves sacrificing our lives in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/corporations-money-and-nations-exist-only-in-our-imagination-we/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Small children in affluent societies often dislike showering, and it takes them years of education and parental discipline to adopt this supposedly attractive custom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/small-children-in-affluent-societies-often-dislike-showering-and-it/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Ever more scholars see cultures as a kind of mental infection or parasite, with humans as its unwitting host. 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