On the Origins of Religion
On one of Pharyngula’s posts (Why people believe in bad ideas), I found a link to Paul Bloom’s essay, “Is God an Accident?“. It’s quite a nice review of various thoughts on the origins of (or rationales for) religion. He suggests a theory whereby our natural — and likely adaptive — inclination to assign agency and purpose to events is implicated. A stimulating, and not overly long, read!
Our dualism makes it possible for us to think of supernatural entities and events; it is why such things make sense. But there is another factor that makes the perception of them compelling, often irresistible. We have what the anthropologist Pascal Boyer has called a hypertrophy of social cognition. We see purpose, intention, design, even when it is not there.
Local cache: Paul Bloom – Is God an Accident?
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