Evolution theory led to great advances in the understanding of human behaviour and has had considerable impact on the study of religion. This essay will first show its importance in new-atheist discourses to reshape religion as handling ontological claims about the world, which can then be investigated and dismissed on the basis of scientific evidence. Then it will discuss how evolution theory has also been used to explain the emergence of the religious phenomenon and its diffusion, as an adaptive trait favouring cooperation or as a parasite detrimental to human kind. The essay will finally discuss cognitive approaches to religion by assessing various hypotheses on how the human mind shaped religious beliefs.
Contrary to common misconception, Darwin’s theory of evolution was not initially perceived as a threat to religion and had minor influence on the growth of atheism in the nineteenth century. Many Christians were able to come to some accommodation with his theory, considering it compatible with their belief in God, insofar as the process of natural selection was not to be applied to humans (Wolffe, 2013, p. 17). Prominent atheists at this time were not relying on the theory of evolution to challenge religious dogmas. For instance, Charles Bradlaugh (1833-1891), head of the National Secular Society, pointed out in his speeches the very fact of the existence of evil, stating that ‘either God wanted to prevent such evil and couldn’t, or else He deliberately planned it’, which was contradicting the idea of an omnipotent benevolent God (Davies, 1969, p. 126). His objections were on the ethical level, with no reference to Darwin’s theories.
The situation significantly changed in the course of time with the emergence of a ‘new atheis...
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...ects. On the other hand, evolution theory also served to explain the emergence of the religious phenomenon and its diffusion: natural selection might have favoured it as an adaptive trait, giving a survival advantage to the group by promoting cooperation, but religion can also be considered as a kind of parasite, detrimental to humankind but able to replicate down the generations. Moreover, cognitive approaches have led to various hypotheses to explain the origins of religion: a parasitic consequence of over-detection by modules of the mind (Boyer), universal features of human memory (Whitehouse) or rather a development system in relation with its environment (Ingold). By offering keys to understand the constitution of social systems, evolution theory is a strong framework to approach the religious phenomenon, even if its complexity will continue to stir controversy.
"On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life," usually shortened to "the Origin of Species," is the full title of Charles Darwin's book, first published in 1859, in which Darwin formalized what we know today as the Theory of Evolution. Although Darwin is the most famous exponent of this theory, he was by no means the first person to suspect the workings of evolution. In fact, Charles owed a considerable debt to his grandfather Erasmus, a leading scientist and intellectual, who published a paper in 1794, calledZoonomia, or, The Laws of Organic Life. This set down many of the ideas that his grandson elaborated on 70 years later.
Throughout time, the definition of what is considered to be “religion” has been proven to be quite a challenge. This is primarily due to the fact that religions continuously evolve over time as well as an individual’s perception and understanding about what religion seems to be. Despite this ongoing process of modifications when attempting to characterize and define religion, what is certainly constant is the fact that religion plays a great role in influencing societies and individuals historically (McGuire 5). In order for an individual to well integrate oneself into society and build a daily life, religious practices is essential to this process. By analyzing the effects of religion and religious practices on communities and individuals, it will become apparent that religious practices are quite more important than religion itself and its institutions when it comes to helping one adjust into society and life.
The growth of religious ideas is environed with such intrinsic difficulties that it may never receive a perfectly satisfactory exposition. Religion deals so largely with the imaginative and emotional nature, and consequently with such an certain elements of knowledge, the all primitive religions are grotesque to some extent unintelligible. (1877:5)
Atheism believes that religion holds back society from its true potential. Issitt tells how religious devotion can have a detrimental effect on intellectual development. Many religions reject the theory of Darwinian evolution because it conflicts with the stories of creation that their religions are largely based on. In contrast, those who don’t affiliate themselves with a religion are able to consider any question on it's merits without going through the process of justifying the question with their ancient traditions and
In the following pages I will discuss this metaphor, as well as Rudolf Otto and his theories on the creation of religion, Peter L. Berger’s theory of “the sacred canopy,” and finally the intermingling of these two theories in the evolution of religion.
James Hutton was born June 3rd, 1726, in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a Scottish farmer and a naturalist, later in life he was known as the father of modern geology.
Chouraeshkenazi argued that religious and socio-political ideologies seem to be on a collision course with evolutionary psychology, leading to plenty of negative reactions to the latter. It is acknowledged that Christian Fundamentalists are bound to take issue with evolutionary
Charles Darwin, born in 1809, was raised by his two Christian parents. Naturally, young Charles openly embraced the ideas of Christianity, and adopted many religious practices into his own life. By the 1830’s, Darwin had developed a strong desire to study natural history and natural theology, or anything that related to divine design in nature. In 1831, Darwin was invited on a trip of his lifetime: to sail around the world studying Mother Nature’s different types of life. At 22 years of age, thus began Darwin’s 5-year long voyage on the vessel HMS Beagle with his fellow scientific scholars.
At least philosophically speaking, religion has acquired a bad press in modernity. It may be explicitly rejected, simply not be talked about, or perhaps be discussed as an area of investigation. But religious adherents who explicitly involve their religion in doing philosophy are both rare and seldom respected. Much of this goes back to a history o...
In this essay, I will be arguing about humanity’s spiritual evolution. For humanity to evolve spiritually, it must go from an inferior state to a superior state. First, I will defend my conclusion by stating my reasons to support my conclusion. I will defend them and expand as well as explain what I mean. Before going in depth of my claims, I will first clarify critical terminology such as “moral evil” and “natural evil”. Finally, I will touch on some oppositions regarding any of my claims.
The ongoing scientific investigation of how exactly evolution occurred and continues to occur has been an argumentative idea amongst society since Darwin first articulated it over a century ago. The scientific basis of evolution accounts for happenings that are also essential concerns of religion; both religion and science focus on the origins of humans and of biological diversity. For instance, in the reading “Truth Cannot Contradict Truth,” Pope John Paul II, addressing the Pontifical Academy of Science, discussed the matter of God as creator of man. The Pope explains that men cannot relate to animals because men are superior. The reasoning for that is because God created humans under his likeness. What the church is saying about mankind contradicts with the scientific evidence scientists have found on human evolution. By analyzing the different scientific approaches, one will be able to grasp a clear understanding that the theory of evolution by natural selection conflicts with the Judeo-Christian worldview of God as creator.
Religion is the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods, a particular system of faith and worship or a pursuit or interest followed with great devotion (Oxford Dictionary, 2014). From religion, many new groups, communities and further derived religions have formed. Closely related to religion and with endless controversies surrounding it’s classification as a religion is the concept of Atheism- which is defined as the disbelief or rejection of a deity. Descending from this is a social and political movement in favour of secularism known as New Atheism. Understanding the historical content concerning the emergence of atheism, this essay will then address how various aspects within the field inclusive the goals, structures and approaches have emerged and developed over time in comparison to the original atheist ideals.
Anyone with even a moderate background in science has heard of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. Since the publishing of his book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859, Darwin’s ideas have been debated by everyone from scientists to theologians to ordinary lay-people. Today, though there is still severe opposition, evolution is regarded as fact by most of the scientific community and Darwin’s book remains one of the most influential ever written.
Garhard Lenksi’s idea of sociocultural evolution corresponds to religion in various different ways. As a society evolves from one stage to another, that society’s values also change. This leads to new types of religions as well as changes in the amount religious inequality. The types of values that exists in a certain sociocultural stage determines the type of religion that the society will have during that stage.
First of all, when it comes to defining religion, the Australian High Court gives a legal definition of religion as, “a complex of belief and practices which point to a set of values and an understanding of the meaning of existence” (Henry, 2010). However, notwithstanding this, religion is a very personal part of humanity and has different meanings amongst different people, and as such the provided legal definition only goes so far in defining it. Due to this intimate and elaborate nature of religion (Beck et al., 2000, pp.4-6), religion and religious systems have been the focus of scholars for some time, and many methods of studying them have emerged. These methods can include psychological (observing religion as a product of the individual or collective consciousness); sociological (observing the place of religion in civilisation); Darwinian (observing religion as similar to a living organism in its evolution) (ed. Blagden, 2007); and finally phenomenologica...