Is the stage currently being set for the time of the antichrist? Will he possibly step forth when every nation is at hyperinflation and famine that he steps forward with all the world’s solutions?
The Requirements for Civilizational Collapse
I am not a Biblical scholar. Therefore, I cannot speak about the potential and timing of the Biblical antichrist.
I do, however, consider myself to be a scholar of reason. Therefore, permit me to analyze your question through a rationality framework.
I believe civilizational collapse (civilization “end times”) requires the following (and only this):
- An irrational (SEE IRRATIONALITY DISCUSSION BELOW THE FOLD) and obedient population:
- Unable to think for themselves;
- No problem-solving;
- An irrational elite:
- Dictatorial and micromanaging;
- No problem-solving;
- Civilization-wide authoritarianism:
- i.e., no course correcting freedom or democracy;
- An intractable problem like a drought, resource depletion, disease, financial collapse, etc.
The above four items constitute my hypothesis for civilization collapse under an end-times tyrant. It is only a hypothesis. However, after reading the following Wiki page, my confidence in its accuracy is high –
From Societal collapse on Wikipedia (the entire page is great and worth reading):
The philosopher Oswald Spengler argued that a civilization in its “winter” would see a disinclination for abstract thinking. The psychologists David Rand and Jonathan Cohen theorized that people switch between two broad modes of thinking. The first is fast and automatic but rigid, and the second is slow and analytical but more flexible. Rand and Cohen believe that explains why people continue with self-destructive behaviors when logical reasoning would have alerted them of the dangers ahead. People switch from the second to the first mode of thinking after the introduction of an invention that dramatically increases the standards of living.
Societal collapse on Wikipedia
Answer at the conclusion (below the second fold).
IRRATIONALITY DISCUSSION:
As represented in the above quote, “psychologists David Rand and Jonathan Cohen theorized that people switch between two broad modes of thinking. The first is fast and automatic but rigid, and the second is slow and analytical but more flexible.” From the image above and my perspective, this Habit (area 1 – Fast), and reason (area 2 – slow, actually infinite: no decision for the SELF). Read more about my definitions for reason here.
An irrational thinker is a habit thinker. They know only what they know. Their decisions are always in the service of the SELF. A habit thinker, in totality (that is, without reason), is a very dangerous thinker. This is how authoritarians are made. The following video illustrates how obedient irrational people are made:
From:
https://learningframework.com/?p=10948
This hypnotist breaks the hypnotized woman’s ability to count.
CONCLUSION
At first, a society’s citizens reason and produce civilization. Civilization produces wealth and entitlement. In entitlement, people stop problem-solving. Their capacity to reason falters.
At some point, a real or imagined intractable problem prompts the irrational elite leadership to drive civilization over a cliff. This is happening now with the pandemic or climate change. But, western societies possess some freedom still. Also, there is not yet one global authoritarian leadership system. There are threats though:
Via state primacy …
China in Xi’s “New Era”: A Play for Global Leadership | Journal of Democracy
or Corporate primacy …
But, the people’s reason is beginning to return. It takes time.