RELIGION and COGNITION

An Introduction by István Czachesz

Religion and evolution

There are several ways to connect religion and evolution. Opinions differ as to whether religion provided humans with an evolutionary advantage, or it emerged only as a by-product. The fuzzy idea of cultural evolution further complicates the issue.

Genetic evolution

The genetic makup inherited from our foraging ancestors obviously puts constraints on how we think. Religion, like culture in general, is constrained by our evolutionary past. Cross-species comparative studies might be helpful in identifying the evolutionary roots of religious behaviour and understanding its (possible) adaptive function.

Cultural evolution

There are two major alternatives to connect culture and evolution:

  1. Culture is basically encoded in our genes. Through exposure to the environment the capacities encoded in our genes are realised and create culture.
  2. Culture is basically transmitted through communication. There is an ongoing cultural evolution driven by selective forces, which can be understood somehow on the analogy of genetic evolution.

    E.g. M. Wheeler et al. (eds.), The evolution of cultural entities (2002).

In the first scenario, evolutionary past is the key also to religious behaviour. In the second scenario, the diversity of cultures and religions may be better understood, provided that we can create a satisfying model of cultural selection.

Hormones and religion?

Hormones may play an interesting role in cultural change. For example, if a mother experiences stress during pregnancy, the offspring's endocrine system produces more testosterone (male hormone). Testosterone influences social behaviour, which, in turn, may effect the balance of hormones in the next generation.
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