Andean Worldviews

The collective portion of the Andean Worldview where the benefit of the group was more important than the individual. Which would make the most sense because it helps to insure survival of the species. The book mentions the fact that the "Inca's who numbered around 100,000 made over ten million people their subjects."(pg 15) I found that to be interesting because although the idea of making other cultures your subjects is not a new idea throughout cultures across the world, but because they controlling culture was such a small number. Usually its the many who are the more powerful and able to dominate. I found the collectivity portion to where the individual is still not important but more so what they create is. I found the view of reciprocity to be similar to the thinking behind some of the larger religions still practiced today, such as Christianity. Such as heaven and hell, light and dark, good and evil. I think as humans it is not uncommon for us to think in this essence. It is in our very nature to group things into categories to better understand our world. I found the "essence over appearance" to be a very interesting concept. I think that at least here in the US we are the complete opposite of that line of thinking. Its not about what we are or what we do its all about what we have, a constant competition. Perhaps this view was also a survival mechanism originally much like the other mentioned worldviews above. We can interpret this view in the Andean art, for instance with the hidden statues placed inside the temples away from public eyes. But I wonder religiously and socially how this worldview played itself out in the Andean's daily lives.