Religion Has No Earthly Purpose, So Why Do We Cling to It? | Reza Aslan | Big Think | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Children are born with a belief in the soul, suggesting its universality and deep-rootedness in human evolution. The existence of religion, which predates Homo sapiens, indicates an evolutionary reason for its presence.

Key Insights

• 🤯 Belief in the separation of mind and body, or the existence of the soul, is inherent in children's cognitive processes and is considered a universal belief.
• 🎁 Religion has been present throughout human history, predating Homo sapiens, indicating its deep-rootedness in human evolution.
• ⏮️ Previous explanations for the existence of religion, such as social cohesion or providing answers to unanswerable questions, have limitations in explaining its adaptive advantage.
• ❓ The sociological explanation for religion fails to consider the greater influence of kinship in early human communities.
• 🪘 The concept of a moral lawgiver is relatively recent, and religion existed long before the association between religion and morality.
• ⌛ Institutionalized religious authority is a more recent development, and it does not explain the existence of religion in earlier times.
• 🤔 There is no definitive answer to why religion exists, but religious thinking is embedded in human cognitive processes, suggesting it may be a byproduct of other adaptive advantages.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What is the evidence that children naturally believe in the existence of the soul?

Studies have shown that even children who have not been exposed to religious teachings assume the presence of a soul, indicating an innate belief in the separation of mind and body. This suggests that belief in the soul is universal and can be traced back to human evolution.

Q: Why do some theorists argue that belief in the soul is an evolutionary accident?

Some non-believers attribute belief in the soul to be a trick of the mind or an evolutionary accident. They argue that the perception of an immaterial being within a material body is solely a result of cognitive processes and not indicative of the soul's actual existence.

Q: What is the sociological explanation for the existence of religion?

The sociological explanation suggests that religion creates social cohesion by fostering a collective identity based on shared symbols and metaphors. However, this theory fails to account for the divisive nature of religion and the greater influence of kinship in social cohesion among early human communities.

Q: Why do functionalist answers fail to explain the existence of religion?

Functionalist answers primarily focus on the role religion plays in society and its effects, rather than addressing why religion exists. They do not provide a clear explanation for the evolutionary advantage of religious faith.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Studies have shown that children as young as three or four intuitively believe in the existence of the soul, indicating a universal belief in the separation of mind and body.

• Religion has been present in human experience since before the existence of Homo sapiens, suggesting an evolutionary reason for its existence.

• Previous explanations for the purpose of religion, such as creating social cohesion or providing answers to unanswerable questions, have limitations in explaining its adaptive advantage.