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Biology
Religion

Is religion a result of evolution? I mean, is the human kind fitter and more surviving by being religious?
Accepted:
October 13, 2005

Comments

Peter Lipton
October 14, 2005 (changed October 14, 2005) Permalink

This is a matter of dispute. First of all, there is dispute over whether religion has any innate component, for example whether there is an innate predisposition towards religion. Second, if there is an innate component, there is a further dispute over whether this is present because it is in itself advantageous from a natural selection point of view, or whether instead it is a by-product of other cognitive traits having nothing particular to do with religion that have such an advantage.

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