Religion and Ideology

Salvor Hardin overthrows the Encyclopedists because they are blind to the fact they are vulnerable to attack. At the same time, Hardin's policy is to prevent war and the destruction of the Foundation and the one way he can do that is by taking control of the Galaxy's masses. There are probably many ways available to him, but in the end, he falls upon religious control.

This is not necessarily the method Hardin would have chosen, but one chosen by the people, who see the Foundation's scientific methods as a higher and mystical power. Hardin uses this to spread an ideology that works entirely to benefit the Foundation and the continuation of the Seldon Plan. He develops a priesthood making himself high priest. The priests are not all from the Foundation, but come from all across the Galaxy to train at the Terminus University. When they...