The entire article (6 pages in pdf) can be read and/or downloaded from http://www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences/abstract/S1364-6613%2809%2900289-7
On Feb 9, 11:50 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > This is an extract from a recent article. > The details surrounding the emergence and evolution of religion have > not been clearly established and remain a source of much debate among > scholars. Now, an article published by Cell Press in the journal > Trends in Cognitive Sciences on February 8 brings a new understanding > to this long-standing discussion by exploring the fascinating link > between morality and religion. > > There is no doubt that spiritual experiences and religion, which are > ubiquitous across cultures and time and associated exclusively with > humans, [actually something similar seems to have been observed in > chimps] are ultimately based in the brain. However, there are many > unanswered questions about how and why these behaviors originated and > how they may have been shaped during evolution. > > "Some scholars claim that religion evolved as an adaptation to solve > the problem of cooperation among genetically unrelated individuals, > while others propose that religion emerged as a by-product of pre- > existing cognitive capacities," explains study co-author Dr. Ilkka > Pyysiainen from the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies. Although > there is some support for both, these alternative proposals have been > difficult to investigate. > > Dr. Pyysiainen and co-author Dr. Marc Hauser, from the Departments of > Psychology and Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, used > a fresh perspective based in experimental moral psychology to review > these two competing theories. "We were interested in making use of > this perspective because religion is linked to morality in different > ways," says Dr. Hauser. "For some, there is no morality without > religion, while others see religion as merely one way of expressing > one's moral intuitions." > > Citing several studies in moral psychology, the authors highlight the > finding that despite differences in, or even an absence of, religious > backgrounds, individuals show no difference in moral judgments for > unfamiliar moral dilemmas. The research suggests that intuitive > judgments of right and wrong seem to operate independently of explicit > religious commitments. > > "This supports the theory that religion did not originally emerge as a > biological adaptation for cooperation, but evolved as a separate by- > product of pre-existing cognitive functions that evolved from non- > religious functions," says Dr. Pyysiainen. "However, although it > appears as if cooperation is made possible by mental mechanisms that > are not specific to religion, religion can play a role in facilitating > and stabilizing cooperation between groups." > > Perhaps this may help to explain the complex association between > morality and religion. "It seems that in many cultures religious > concepts and beliefs have become the standard way of conceptualizing > moral intuitions. Although, as we discuss in our paper, this link is > not a necessary one, many people have become so accustomed to using > it, that criticism targeted at religion is experienced as a > fundamental threat to our moral existence," concludes Dr. Hauser. > > I tend to see religion much as I would view political correctness - > that is, peevish, hostile, posturing pretense to be on the moral high > ground. Even Orn, who is a splendid example of the opposite most of > the time, lapses to this and so do I. I'm sure he won't take offence > and think I'm merely pointing to difficulties, not accusing him. Any > quest for origin is fraught with self-deception and the struggle to > sort wheat from chaff. > > I'm not looking for religion, but radical, practical changes in > society, the way we live and could live - this, of course, sounds > rather religious! -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en.
