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Civilizations and world
religions
6. Lecture.
Phenomena and evolutionary theory of religion
Revolutions of human evolution
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Earliest stage of human evolution: it is the stage of human
ethology
Modern man – (EEA – Environment of Evolutionary
adaptation) – and the phase of evolutionary psychology
Symbolic revolution – the cultural evolution became more
important (here appears speech and language)
Neolithic revolution – here appears culture in its entire reality,
and also inequality, rulership and hierarchic community
Institutional revolution – here appears state and everything
else; writing and even more complex, developed conceptual
thinking.
The levels of hierarchic controlling-system
which determines the behavior
1. Earliest level of human evolution = reflex-like, „click-launch”
reaction.
2. The level of emergence of modern man = he „anticipates” the
solution, and acts instinctively (+ some deliberation)
3. Level of symbolic revolution = he realizes the sign, identifies its
meaning or sense, and he behaves in accordance with it.
4. Level of Neolithic revolution = he is in connection with
experience and with what he learnt from his ancestors,
deliberates and behaves according to that.
5. Level of institutional revolution = he analyses the circumstances,
applies the models of science, gathers information, deliberates
prudently, and takes into account the possible consequences.
The Matrioshka-model of ethnocentrism
Level of ideologies
Level of prejudices
Level of xenophobia/homophily
Level of ethnocentric-module
Level of biological kinship
What does the „institutional” level means?
The institutions are „tinkered” or „gadgeteered” from the earlier
emerged elements of culture, they are systems with a concrete
adaptive functions, which determine and form the human
behavior on a very basic level.
Roles, symbols and rules, made up from the material and spiritual
elements of culture, systems which control the behavior.
Since this point our life takes place within the frames of these
institutions: state, politics, ideology, religion, domination, market
etc. These systems make the environment and circumstances
stable and predictable.
Their functioning is based upon the earlier levels, but on the
institutional level the agent makes deliberations, and takes into
the account the actual and possible effects of these institutions.
The main steps of identity in human evolution
1.
2.
3.
4.
Before settle: evolutionary psychological mental module. Its sign is
the ending of the „smiling-phase” of the infant, the fear from
unacquainted, alien people after 7-8 months.
After symbolic revolution: fear and identification is brought forth
by symbols, which we transmit in part orally and in part in written
form (star, cross, song, living speech, etc.).
The stereotype emerged after settling: we have to cooperate with
alien people with whom we are living together, we must „classify”
them in a way or another, and the rejection could change after a
while.
The ideology emerged in the age of institutional revolution, as a
complex institute, (symbols, roles, rules, rites, building, etc.).
Steps of identity in the course
of human evolution
On the first level the biological relatedness is decisive: kinship = biological
descendance or lineage.
After the symbolic revolution the kinship became socially constructed feature.
In this period the communication between communities became a decisive factor.
Claude Lévi-Strauss: „Civilization is exchange of items, information and
spouses”.
It is not the biological relationship, but the system of social relation which is truly
matters. (In the Kalahari Desert „we”, ju hoansi = real human. „Aliens”, „ju
dole” = bad, evil, malicious being. But the word „barbarian” in Ancient Greek
language refers to quite the same: „barbarian” = „that who doesn’t understand
Greek language”, „that who cannot speak intelligibly”)
We must support our own kin, and we have a good reason to expect the same
support from our own kin, and we must reject the alien people, and avoid them.
We try to dehumanize the enemy. (E.g. in American prisons the violence amongst
the prisoners is mentioned with the following slang expression: NHI, that is:
No human involved).
The elements of evolutionary theory
of religion
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1. The interpretation of the origins of religion by the help of
basic categories of evolution, (such as: inheritance, mutation,
selection, adaptation, etc.)
2a. The interpretation of religion as a social, „gadgeteered”
(bricolage) construction, as an adaptation, (a function that helps
the survival).
2b. The presentation of such functions, which helps the
individuals and the group to solve certain problems in the actual
situation, or in the actual level of evolution. (So, due to which
function it is an adaptation, and not a by-product or a „bug”).
3. The understanding of „why” is the unfolding of evolutionary
story that lead to the present, („just so story”). In evolution the
answer to a question is always a story.
What is religion?
In the prespective of evolutionary theory
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1. Religion is a „cultural universal” – it could
be found in every known present and past (after
its material mementos known) societies.
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Concerning sociologists (Durkheim, Murdock, LéviStrauss, Donald Brown, etc.) a „cultural universal” is
an element, pattern, trait, or institution that is
common to all human cultures worldwide.
What is religion? 2.
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2. It fulfils very similar functions in every society:
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A. Influences behavior (punishes, rewards).
B. Legitimates (a hierarchy, a society).
C. Interprets, explains (the structure, the actual state of
world).
D. It offers a technique of manipulation that promises
practical success (via prayer, rite or magical praxis).
E. It „absolves”, appeases, and provides a high-level
emotional satisfaction.
3. One cannot necessarily find all these features in every
religious phenomena in the world, but a certain
combination of them is demonstrable in every single
case of religions of the world.
The precedent indications and „preparatory”
functions of religion on the level of animals
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Culture
Tool-using and tool-making
„Politics”
Exchange of needs and activities
Following rules and norms
Pro-sociability.
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Prosocial behavior: or "voluntary behavior intended to benefit another",
consists of actions which "benefit other people or society as a whole",
"such as helping, sharing, donating, co-operating, and volunteering." In
short: a sort of altruism.
These functions could be found in a preliminary form on the
level of „higher primates”.
The evolutionary account of religion.
Precedents of religion at animals
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The appearance of „theory of mind” at animals, the genesis of
„secondary” (attributed) intentionality on the prehuman level.
Tool-using and tool-making – and, in close relationship with it,
the appearance of manipulative strategy of success, which is
given with tool-using.
The appearance of ritual behavior in social relations, and the
spread of this ritual behavior.
Application of social relations in order to influence or
„stimulate” psychological states, („grooming”, as a technique to
solve conflicts).
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Recommended literature: Robin Dunbar, Grooming, Gossip, and the Evolution
of Language (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1996).
Determination of the
actual level of the agent’s
„Theory of Mind”. The
„Sally and Ann”-Test.
The children begin to
realize that Sally will look
for the ball in the basket
at the age of 2-3 years.
According to the results
of the experiments a
matured chimpanzee is
also able to provide this
achievement.
The determination of the actual level of the
agent’s „Theory of Mind”. The Gold-fish Test
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Two sorts of feed on plates are shown to children of 14-18
months: broccoli and gold-fish biscuit. All likes gold-fish biscuit,
and non the broccoli.
The adult with them tastes both types of food, and he pretends
that he likes the broccoli very much, and that he dislikes the
gold-fish biscuit also very much.
Then he holds out his hands to the child: „Give me please, from
one of these feed!”
The 14 month old children – after thinking a while – give the
gold-fish biscuit to the adult – after all: everybody likes gold-fish
biscuit!
The 18 month old children – though a bit surprised („wow! –
there are people who don’t like gold-fish biscuit!”) give broccoli
to the adult.
The mental modules in evolutionary
psychology
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„Modularity of mind” is the notion that a mind may, at least in
part, be composed of separate innate structures which have
established evolutionarily developed functional purposes.
In evolutionary psychology, amongst others, Leda Cosmides
treated the problem of modularity of mind.
This perspective suggests that modules are units of mental
processing that evolved in response to selection pressures. On
this view, much modern human psychological activity is rooted
in adaptations that occurred earlier in human evolution, when
natural selection was forming the modern human species.
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Source: Cosmides, L. & Tooby, J. (1994). Origins of Domain Specificity:
The Evolution of Functional Organization. In L.A. Hirschfeld and S.A.
Gelmen, eds., Mapping the Mind: Domain Specificity in Cognition and
Culture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
What does the mental modules-level mean?
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1. They are certain forms of behavior, which were called into
existence by problems and challanges given the evolutionary
adaptive environment of early periods of evolution of man.
2. They are functional units which fixed in the brain, and which
provide certain sorts of solution to certain problems of
adaptation. They are „tools” or „instruments” of the solution.
3. We decide with the instinctive, unconscious application of
these mental modules, who could we trust, who could be a
cheater, what should we eat, from what should be affraid of.
4. Its a psychological attitude, a preference that influences the
behavior, and which „presses” the individual towards a certain
direction, and generates definite answers to certain situations
from time to time.
The ages and periods of evolution of
religion
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1. The appearance of modern man. At around 500,000
BC, till 120,000 BC. The genesis of „spiritual modules”.
The modules of evolutionary psychology. There is no
religion yet in the strict sense of the word.
2. The „symbolic revolution”. It is the period of a
„personal religion”. From 120,000 BC till 20,000 BC.
3. The Neolithic revolution. The age of „social
religion”. Worldwide circa 20,000–7000 years.
4. The institutional revolution. The age of institutional
religions. From 7000 till nowadays.
The „Matrioshka”-model of religion
Religion as a fully developed instituion
Level of „social” religion
Level of „personal” religion
Level of spiritual module
Level of elements of „Theory of Mind”
The revolution of becoming a human.
The genesis of spiritual module
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The agent-generating module, (presuming agents in the events of
external reality, and comprehend the effects and events in the world
according to this presumption).
Belief-generating module, (in uncertain situation, when we should react
in a short time, one should attribute the value of certainty to uncertain
and unjustified information).
Evolved or fully developed rituality-generating module. (Trying to
realize or achieve certain wished goals by virtue of definite pattern or
series of actions).
Happiness-generating module. (Simulating the happiness provided by
the presence of a parent also in their absence).
Attention to social learning-module. (Attending to and following what
is taught by the other members of the group).
Creating contrafactual things (imagination of things which are only
possible; capability to fantasize purely imaginative situations).
The birth of spiritual modules 2.
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What is essential is the connection of all the modules
which are mentioned above.
What we call „spiritual module” is the connection of all
those modules, or the collective, simultaneous
appearance of them.
The spiritual module makes the life of man easier. The
man believes in „contrafactual” agents who could help
him, who could be „summoned” at will, whom he
could treat as friends, companions, supporters, and
whom it is a pleasure to contact, and make
„consultations” with them.
The operation of spiritual module 1.
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Researchers investigated whether religious belief influences the aptness
or disposition to punish in case of „unfair behavior”.
They affected the participants of experiment with such messages of
religious content, which did not attain the level of consciousness. They
flashed on the monitor for moments words like „God”, „piety”,
„punishment”.
Other participants got messages of religiously neutral content, like
„tractor”, „airplane”, „caricature”.
Results showed: those participants, who were „filled” by religious
contents, tended to punish with an increased frequency and in a higher
degree those people, who deviated from the expected behavior.
The researchers concluded, that though there are several psychological
factors which take part in the articulation and formation of behavior, it
is an essential motive in the case of believers, that there is a
transcendent being who watch them continuously, and evaluates their
deeds and motives all the time as well.
The operation of spiritual module 2.
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The belief in existence of powerful, transcendent, invisible
supernatural forces appears at children in a very early age.
In an experiment which was recently done researchers investigated the
rule-following attitudes and behavior of 5-6 and 8-9 year old children.
They told to one group of the children that the solving of their
exercises is watched by „Princess Alice”, by an invisible fairy, in
whom they believed. Other group of the children was controlled by a
real adult, who was present during the completing of the exercises.
Finally: there was a third group whose members were neither
controlled, nor they believed in „Princess Alice”.
In the case of those children who believed in Alice, the rule-following
behavior was as strong and firm as in the case of those children, who
were controlled by a real adult.
But in the case of „faithless” children the rule-following behavior was
induced only by the presence of a real controlling figure, but they
tendentiously broke the rules in the absence of the adult.
The operation of
agent-generating module
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Recent experiments show that the children
relatively early - at around 12 months – achieves
the idea, according to which they associate the
order, the creation of operational, automotive
things with agents, and they conceive the
inanimate things as the cause and source of
disorder, as things which on their own account
cannot create an order, nor any operational
thing.
The symbolic revolution:
The age of „personal religion”
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Small community, ties of kindred, (instinctive pro-sociality).
Mutual dependence, special importance of recognizing the other’s
intentions.
Appearance of symbolic objects, signs, actions and products.
Tool-using. The always increasing and accumulating knowledge of toolmaking.
Demand to affect and influence the future, (by virtue of addressing
agents – the birth of magical praxis and magical notions).
Birth of individual and collective consciousness. (Genesis of „I” or
„me” and „we”).
Festivals, rites and ritual objects.
Notion of life after death. The appearance of burial-places.
Norm: the rule of commonly, collectively expected behavior, which is
obligatory in regard of all members of the community, and whose
keeping could be even forced by violence.
Effect of religious symbols 1.
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The effect of punishing gods: after the end of life,
evaluating the entire life of the person in question, they
determine the „final station” for that man. According
to the merits or sins of the person these gods send him
to Heaven or to Hell. This might force the believer to
take into account the attention of his or her god every
time when he or she does something.
That this hypothesis is true, so: that this religious effect
instinctively, but in a very effective, very real way
influences the behavior, is proven by an experiment,
which was done a few years ago.
Effect of religious symbols 2.
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The participants of the experiment had to evaluate two,
morally problematic cases: the first of which was a
stolen wallet, the other is a faked curriculum vitae. They
had to judge normatively these cases on a nine-grade
Linkert-scale.
When on the paper there was an eye (as a mere
ornament), the participants evaluated the deeds in
question much more rigorously as when there were
flowers on the paper.
So: the picture, which was not even conscious for the
participants of this experiment, influenced the behavior
and moral attitudes of them in a demonstrable way.
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Source: Bourrat, P. www.epjournal.net. 2010. 8(x) 1-11.
Flowers and eyes. The Bateson-experiment
In the experiments of
Gregory Bateson the workers
of the observed office paid
for the consumed tea, coffee
or milk in a voluntary way.
The amount of money in the
voluntary pay-box showed an
explicit and demonstrable
correlation with the picture
on the wall in the background; accordingly whether
there were eyes or flowers
Evolutionary definition of
religion on the first level
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1. Belief in supernatural being, and belief in that
they could be influenced by certain actions.
2. Namely: that they could be influenced,
affected, and their benevolence could be gained
by rites, practices, donations and gifts.
3. Special experiences, which join those rites,
religious practices and the meeting of the
„ancestors”.
The neolithic revolution:
Age of „social” religion
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Communities with increasing number of members (the
importance of unrelated relationship increases).
Settling, building villages.
Domesticating animals, division of labour, the
foundation of life is production.
Emergence and consolidation of inequality in power
and property.
Commonly and regularly organized fests and rites.
Fixed rituals and collective identity. (Religion as a
cultural universal).
Evolutionary definition of
religion on the second level
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Provides collective identity.
Provides a meaning of life and general
explanation to the world.
It supports the collective, social norms:
1. It helps the isolation of secondary free-riders.
 2. It provides and legitimates the rules and norms of
society in question.
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The institutional revolution:
Age of institutional religion
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Co-existence of communities with different cultural universals.
The division of labour and class-structure are fixed, and they are passed
over to younger generations.
The importance of commerce increases.
The organizing of sources of common pool becomes a determining factor.
The appearance of state.
The appearance of other basic social institutes, which are interrelated, and
which are in a close relationship with each other: law, ethics, market,
taxation.
Appearance of such social constructions which are important in regard of
the above-mentioned basic institutions: writing, building roads, shipping,
handicraft, metallurgy, etc.
Cities.
Army.
Birth of major social and territorial organizations: empires, states.
The new functions of religion
in the age of empires
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1. It legitimates the domination and hierarchy.
2. It provides principles and rules to organize the
society.
3. It is a system of social activities, with unique objects,
specially made for religious praxis and activities, with a
special group of people (clergy), that has a peculiar
place in the collective division of labour, on a special
(holy) place, where a special building is made with
religious intentions, (temple), and which place and
building serve as a centre for the life of entire
community.
The elements of evolutionary theory
of religion
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1. The interpretation of the origins of religion by the help of
basic catherogies of evolution, (such as: inheritance, mutation,
selection, adaptation, etc.)
2a. The interpretation of religion as a social, „gadgeteered”
construction, as an adaptation, (a function that helps the
survival).
2b. The presentation of such functions, which helps the
individuals and the group to solve certain problems in the actual
situation, or in the actual level of evolution. (So, due to which
function it is an adaptation, and not a by-product or a „bug”).
3. The understanding of „why” is the unfolding of evolutionary
story that lead to the present, („just so story”). In evolution the
answer to a question is always a story.
What is religion?
In the prespective of evolutionary theory

1. Religion is a „cultural universal” – it could
be found in every known present and past (after
its material mementos known) societies.

Amongst sociologists (Durkheim, Murdock, LéviStrauss, Donald Brown, etc.) a „cultural universal” is
an element, pattern, trait, or institution that is
common to all human cultures worldwide.