Claim CB440:
Evolution does not explain religion.
Response:
- Religion fits comfortably with evolutionary theory. Some of its
important components probably even predate humanity. For example:
- A fear of death has obvious survival advantages and is probably as
old as emotions. When intellect evolved to the point that
imagination became possible, we could start thinking about
alternatives.
- Humans and other primates live in dominance hierarchies. A social
structure with "higher" and "lower" beings is part of our genes. We
can always point to other animals as lower beings, but sometimes a
higher being requires something unobvious.
- With the origin of symbolic thinking (which language requires), the
abstract higher beings could be thought of in more specific terms.
- With language, gods could be talked about. From there, religion
developed via cultural evolution.
- Fear of the unknown gives further reason for believing in gods.
Dealings with a god, such as sacrificial offering or intercessory
prayer, allow one the impression of some influence over events that
are beyond one's control.
- Religions themselves evolve (Cullen 1998; Gottsch 2001).
- The claim is an argument from incredulity. Even
if no
explanation is known, that does not mean there is none.
References:
Further Reading:
Boyer, Pascal. 2001. Religion Explained. New York: Basic Books.
Burkert, Walter. 1996. Creation of the Sacred: Tracks of biology in
early religions. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. (It
concentrates on early cultural aspects of religion but still has some
relevance to religion's origin.)
Dunbar, Robin. 2003. Evolution: Five big questions: 5. What's
God got to do with it? New Scientist 178(2399) (14 June): 38-39.
Konner, Melvin. 2002. The Tangled Wing: Biological constraints on the
human spirit, New York: Henry Holt and Co.
created 2003-8-22, modified 2003-9-4
