The Culture of Make Believe Summary

10 questions on the main ideas. Each answer comes with a short explanation.

Take it one question at a time

1. Question 1

   According to Jensen in 'The Culture of Make Believe,' what is the primary function of 'make believe' in dominant cultures?

   1. To foster creativity and artistic expression.
   2. To facilitate social cohesion and shared mythology.
   3. To obscure the violent foundations and destructive impacts of the culture.
   4. To provide a sense of hope and optimism for the future.
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   C. To obscure the violent foundations and destructive impacts of the culture. Jensen argues that 'make believe' is not benign, but rather a crucial mechanism for dominant cultures to deny and rationalize the systemic violence and exploitation upon which they are built.

2. Question 2

   Jensen draws a direct line of connection between which two historical phenomena to illustrate the continuity of systemic violence?

   1. The Salem Witch Trials and the American Civil War.
   2. Early twentieth-century American lynchings and contemporary South American death squads.
   3. The Roman Empire's expansion and the British Empire's colonialism.
   4. The Industrial Revolution and the rise of modern consumerism.
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   B. Early twentieth-century American lynchings and contemporary South American death squads. The book description explicitly states that Jensen's exploration 'begins as an exploration of the lines of thought and experience that run between the massive lynchings in early twentieth-century America to today's death squads in South America.'

3. Question 3

   What does Jensen consider to be a fundamental characteristic of 'civilization' itself, as critiqued in the book?

   1. Its inherent capacity for technological advancement.
   2. Its reliance on agriculture and settled living.
   3. Its foundation on systemic violence, exploitation, and the destruction of the natural world.
   4. Its ability to create complex social structures and governance.
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   C. Its foundation on systemic violence, exploitation, and the destruction of the natural world. Jensen's work consistently argues that civilization, as we know it, is built upon and perpetuates violence against both humans and the environment, which is a core theme of 'The Culture of Make Believe'.

4. Question 4

   Jensen's analysis often centers on the psychological mechanisms that allow individuals within dominant cultures to ignore or rationalize widespread suffering. Which concept best describes this phenomenon in his work?

   1. Cognitive dissonance.
   2. Willful ignorance or collective delusion.
   3. Projection.
   4. Sublimation.
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   B. Willful ignorance or collective delusion. Jensen frequently explores how dominant cultures construct narratives and belief systems (the 'culture of make believe') that enable their members to remain oblivious or indifferent to the destructive realities they perpetuate, a form of collective delusion or willful ignorance.

5. Question 5

   How does Jensen typically view technological progress within the framework of 'The Culture of Make Believe'?

   1. As a neutral force that can be used for good or ill.
   2. As inherently emancipatory and a solution to societal problems.
   3. As often an extension and intensification of the dominant culture's destructive patterns.
   4. As largely irrelevant to the core issues of violence and exploitation.
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   C. As often an extension and intensification of the dominant culture's destructive patterns. Jensen generally critiques technology not as inherently evil, but as a tool that, within the dominant culture, is invariably used to further exploit natural resources and consolidate power, thus extending the 'make believe' that allows for destruction.

6. Question 6

   Jensen's work, including 'The Culture of Make Believe,' is often characterized by its urgent call for a fundamental shift in human behavior. What kind of action does he typically advocate for?

   1. Incremental policy changes within existing political structures.
   2. A complete dismantling of the dominant culture and its systems.
   3. Increased individual introspection and spiritual growth.
   4. Technological innovation to solve environmental and social crises.
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   B. A complete dismantling of the dominant culture and its systems. Jensen's critique is radical and holistic, arguing that the dominant culture itself is inherently pathological and requires a complete overthrow, rather than mere reform, to address its destructive tendencies.

7. Question 7

   In 'The Culture of Make Believe,' Jensen argues that the dominant culture's narrative of progress and inevitable improvement serves what specific purpose?

   1. To inspire innovation and scientific discovery.
   2. To justify ongoing exploitation and violence as necessary steps towards a better future.
   3. To promote international cooperation and diplomacy.
   4. To encourage individual self-improvement and moral development.
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   B. To justify ongoing exploitation and violence as necessary steps towards a better future. Jensen critiques the 'progress' narrative as a key component of the 'make believe,' allowing the dominant culture to rationalize its destructive present by promising a glorious, yet perpetually deferred, future.

8. Question 8

   Jensen often distinguishes between 'real' power and the 'make believe' power of institutions. How does he generally define 'real' power?

   1. The ability to influence public opinion through media control.
   2. The capacity to inflict physical harm and control essential resources.
   3. The persuasive authority derived from moral righteousness.
   4. The collective will of the majority expressed through democratic processes.
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   B. The capacity to inflict physical harm and control essential resources. Jensen consistently emphasizes that despite the rhetoric of democracy or moral superiority, the ultimate power of the dominant culture rests on its ability to exert physical force and control access to life-sustaining resources, often through violence.

9. Question 9

   A key argument in 'The Culture of Make Believe' is that the violence perpetrated by the dominant culture is not an aberration, but rather:

   1. A temporary phase that will eventually be overcome by enlightenment.
   2. An unfortunate side effect of otherwise benevolent intentions.
   3. Integral and foundational to its very existence and continued operation.
   4. Primarily a result of individual moral failings rather than systemic issues.
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   C. Integral and foundational to its very existence and continued operation. Jensen argues that violence is not incidental but intrinsic to the dominant culture, serving as its bedrock and a constant mechanism for maintaining power and resource extraction. It's not a bug, but a feature.

10. Question 10

    How does Jensen's perspective in 'The Culture of Make Believe' challenge conventional historical narratives?

    1. By focusing exclusively on the achievements of Western civilization.
    2. By emphasizing the cyclical nature of empires and their inevitable decline.
    3. By exposing the continuous thread of violence and exploitation often sanitized or omitted from official histories.
    4. By asserting that history is purely subjective and lacks any objective truth.
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    C. By exposing the continuous thread of violence and exploitation often sanitized or omitted from official histories. Jensen's work is a direct challenge to triumphalist historical narratives, meticulously documenting the consistent and often brutal violence that underpins the rise and maintenance of dominant cultures, revealing what is 'made believe' to be true versus the actual historical record.