Are We Hard-Wired to Believe in God?
OK, wow. I was just posting about how I believe our brains have lots of evolutionary baggage when it is forced to accept new beliefs.
I was just reading this New York Times article on current research that is trying to find out if our brains are wired (by evolution) in specific ways that predispose us into believing in God:
Which is the better biological explanation for a belief in God — evolutionary adaptation or neurological accident? Is there something about the cognitive functioning of humans that makes us receptive to belief in a supernatural deity? And if scientists are able to explain God, what then? Is explaining religion the same thing as explaining it away? Are the nonbelievers right, and is religion at its core an empty undertaking, a misdirection, a vestigial artifact of a primitive mind? Or are the believers right, and does the fact that we have the mental capacities for discerning God suggest that it was God who put them there?
Researchers are trying to answer what evolutionary problems were being solved by religious belief. Indeed, religion takes up lots of mental and physical resources, if anything (the article mentions), these beliefs would get in our way.
Based on my recent experiences, I’m inclined to agree. I think we all have residue from our evolutionary past which may have served some purpose in the past, but now simply prevents us from truly understanding our universe.
No, I haven’t read The God Delusion yet, but I do own a copy, it’s on my stack of books I’ve yet to read. It may be time move it to the top.
I feel like I’ve been living this idea for the past few days. I’ve been struggling to overcome what feels like deep-seated beliefs that I didn’t necessarily put there, and it feels like an uphill battle.
Give the article a read and let me know what you think. I’d love to hear it.
Technorati Tags: atheism, evolution
Related Stories
POSTED IN: skewed perspective
5 opinions for Are We Hard-Wired to Believe in God?
Jonathan Keeling
Mar 6, 2007 at 11:53 pm
Thanks for pointing me towards that article. It was interesting reading about the theories of origin of religion, especially the psychological theories and experiments. On the subject of religion, I am an atheist, and am actually a fan of both Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. I have watched all of the available Dawkins and Harris videos on youtube and various other internet video sites (the ones where they debate religious scholars and people of faith are especially entertaining), although like you I have yet to read either of their books (for shame).
I believe that there probably is a Darwinian explanation for the hardwiring of our brain that led to the proposed foundations of religion mentioned in the article such as agent detection, causal reasoning, and theory of mind. I do not, however, believe that religion itself is a result of evolutionary pressure, just a cultural byproduct that stemmed from our sudden ability to understand if we had had a good answer, which we didn’t so poof - theres god.
I actually had been exposed to this line of thinking before I read this article in Stephen Baxter’s novel Evolution. Even though he is a science fiction writer and he does insert some spurious conjecture here and there, any of his fans will tell you that he tries to base his writing on as much science fact as possible. This book is a highly enjoyable read that really makes evolution come alive and yet at the same time demonstrates the incredible length and slowness of the process of 65 million years of human evolution. It is pertinent because there is one chapter, which I can now see is most likely based heavily on the work of Atran et al., where the protagonist through a type of Schizophrenia is able to form bridges between the different “compartments” in her brain and is thus able to develop causal reasoning. Among other effects on her tribe, it leads to the development of a quasi-religion. It is also interesting because it marks the turning point in the novel from physical/biological evolution to cultural/sociological evolution of humans.
I especially found the conclusion of the article interesting, where they discuss how we will never be able to escape religion because it is ingrained in our very being. I find this hard to accept because when I look at the state of our knowledge (biological, astronomical, socioeconomic, etc.) in a rational manner, I come down on the side of atheism, and if it is possible for me, it should be possible for everyone.
Beau
Mar 7, 2007 at 9:26 am
Jonathan - Could you possibly post some links to those Dawkins/Harris videos? I’m sure I could dig up some on YouTube, but I’m interested in the ones where they debate religious scholars…
Jonathan Keeling
Mar 7, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Sorry, I probably overqualified myself there when I said “religious scholars” as it was more scientists who practise religion and religious people doing Q and A with the presenters. Anytime I have seen religious figureheads/scholars on the same program as Dawkins or Harris, it turns from a rational debate into an argument. I apologize if the term I used was misleading.
A collection of videos that are in a debate format and include Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and Scott Atran among others can be found at video.google.com by searching for ‘beyond belief 06′.
For a good overview of Sam Harris’ main points (in 4 parts) search for ’sam harris end of faith’. Part 1 can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVRtD1i4WQE
For Dawkins documentary “The Root of all Evil” where he does interview prominent christian and Muslim figureheads go to http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6169720917221820689
An interesting ‘debate’ between Dawkins and prominent Canadian religious figures of almost every major faith can be found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgNIZl8ncmU I say debate because even though dawkins was there, he barely got to talk.
For a great Q and A with Richard Dawkins on his views where he actually answers questions from students and faculty at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, a notoriously religious college, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR_z85O0P2M
Pretty good Dawkins BBC interview (I wish American journalists were more in your face like british journalists) go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWL1ZMH3-54
Hope these links help.
Beau
Mar 8, 2007 at 8:44 am
Excellent, thanks a bunch!
Frederica
Mar 8, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Very intriguing article :) and the question’s a real toughie, at least it is for me. But I like it.
Being fiercely Darwinist but also convinced in the existence of something higher, my firsthand, impulsive, gut-feeling answer would be : “yes” we are wired that way. Of course I thought : I don’t have much proof or feel able to discuss this subject in great depth, I am quite a newbie in that field; Why am I even trying ?
but then came that somewhat comforting thought : weren’t telescopes originally built with the purpose of finding God ?
Then, that even more conforting thought came : how can you not believe in a God when you look at the Hubble Ultra Deep Field picture… I wanna be “wired” to all those beautiful galaxies, somehow. But It is not a belief or a feeling, more a desire.
I personally like the idea that science and spirituality are one entity.
Even the most atheists of scientist agree with the spiritualists on one thing : the existence of some kind of energy; Godly or not, both parties agree that there is something out there that makes the Universe go round and smooth and on and on.
It is also hard to debate such subject without bringing in religion. Or Quantum physics.
Religious guidelines, as well as the collective belief in a “creator” must have been born when humans started to bury their dead…(?) It’s like energy. It’s like the Universe. It feels like it has always been there, it was born with us. Too bad I can only base my statements on feelings. I am in a way like a String theorist, I have deep convictions, yet am unable to prove them, so it will stay in the domain of philosophy and speculations for now.
My happy 2 cents :D
I also found this on Youtubehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BSjtL0mdLo
I thought that was cool. :D
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: