Personality Cults from a Communicative Standpoint

Drawing upon a wide variety of personality cults in religion, culture and politics from Ancient Egypt to our times, the author attempts present summary view this phenomenon communicative standpoint. Personality cult is seen as an attribution universal eternal socio-cultural significance certain beings, messages interaction scenarios defiance changes diversity surrounding reality. The implementation such involves suspension some most basic mechanisms social coordination. Thus, deification political, cultural or religious leaders eliminates subordination individuals their roles, whereas canonization severs ties selected texts with contexts production reception. Last, but not least, random signaling between subject cultic adoration his her subordinates runs counter standard cooperation rules (‘turn-taking’). Illustrating these points, article points out at specific pathologies accompanying jeopardizing stability environments.