Structures of Taste, Power and Social Movement: From the Baroque Period to Social Relativity Theory

This article examines the structural relationship between taste, power and the formation of mass behavior, using the Baroque period in Europe particularly the reign of Louis XIV of France as a primary case study. It argues that art, music, fashion and ceremonial practices should not be understood merely as cultural expressions, but as structural mechanisms closely intertwined with centralized power and the construction of social normality. The analysis extends across civilizations by exploring religion as a center of social gravity, drawing examples from the Tang dynasty in China, the Roman Empire under Constantine and Southeast Asia in the context of the Srivijaya polity. These cases illustrate how religious pluralism and syncretism shaped social norms and contributed to the distinctive form of syncretic Buddhism found in Thailand and neighboring regions. All discussions are framed within Social Relativity Theory, which proposes that norms, morality and social normality are not fixed or universal, but vary according to the position of socially accepted centers of power within specific historical and cultural contexts.