>Herbert's elaborate spiritual systems then become manifestations of the culture under religion, but don't hold true moral or philosophical significance that re

>Herbert's elaborate spiritual systems then become manifestations of the culture under religion, but don't hold true moral or philosophical significance that religion is supposed to have, because the true moral reality in his setting is ultimately still about power. In the later novels it introduces the concept of "Arafel" a word which comes from the Hebrew word for darkness. It represents the apocalypse (the end of humanity) and the idea is that through the golden path humanity is steered away from Arafel, so there is a thin veneer of a moral justification beyond power..