Question

Amazonian cultures look at their whole world, their whole cosmos, as a series of floating platters.

1) True
2) False

Answer 1

The statement regarding Amazonian cultures viewing their world as a series of floating platters is false; indigenous cosmologies are complex and diverse, involving various realms and directions rather than floating platters.

Step-by-step explanation:

The assertion that Amazonian cultures view their cosmos as a series of floating platters is false. These cultures, like many indigenous groups with rich cosmologies, have sophisticated and diverse ways of conceptualizing the universe.

Throughout Mesoamerica, cosmology often involves a vertical division of the world into celestial, terrestrial, and underworld realms, and a horizontal division into four directions from a central axis, or 'axis mundi.' This description does not suggest that the cosmos is seen as floating platters but rather as interconnected realms with specific orientations and significance. Additionally, philosophical and religious views featured in the provided excerpts indicate a vast and complex range of beliefs in different cultures regarding the world and the supernatural. For instance, in Indigenous North American philosophy, the creation of the universe is often seen as a process similar to thought, involving multiple non-anthropomorphic beings.

Considering the varied indigenous societies and their unique religious beliefs and worldviews, any single model such as 'floating platters' would not encapsulate the diverse cosmological views present across Amazonian cultures or other indigenous populations.