The Potosi principle: religious prosociality fosters self-organization of larger communities under extreme natural and economic conditions

In colonial Potosí, religious rituals and miracles served as crucial mechanisms for social stability and cooperation among diverse ethnic and religious groups during periods of extreme natural and economic hardship. This study reveals that cycles of religious performance not only mitigated social upheaval but also facilitated native community participation in broader societal structures, ensuring the city's role in the Spanish empire's silver economy. The research combines traditional humanistic analysis with advanced graph modeling to map religious cycles, social networks, and historical behaviors, demonstrating religion's pivotal role in self-organization during turbulence. This multidisciplinary approach offers a robust methodology for addressing sociological, historical, and literary challenges.

Suarez, J. L., Vasquez, S., & Sancho-Caparrini, F. (2011). The Potosi principle: religious prosociality fosters self-organization of larger communities under extreme natural and economic conditions. Literary and Linguistic Computing, 27(1), 25–38. https://doi.org/10.1093/llc/fqr043