The Faith Instinct : How Religion Evolved and Why it Endures
By Nicholas WadeNoted science writer Nicholas Wade offers for the first time a convincing case based on a broad range of scientific evidence for the evolutionary basis of religion.
For at least the last fifty thousand years, and probably much longer, people have practiced religion. Yet little attention has been given, either by believers or atheists, to the question of whether this universal human behavior might have an evolutionary basis. Did religion evolve, in other words, beacause it helped people in early societies survive?
In this original and controversial book, longtime reporter for "The New York Times"'s Science section Nicholas Wade gathers new evidence showing why religion became so essential in the course of human evolution, and how an instinct for faith has been hardwired into human nature. This startling thesis is sure to catch the attention of both believers and nonbelievers. People of faith may not warm up to the view that the mind's receptivity to religion has been shaped by evolution. Atheists may not embrace the idea that religious expression evolved because it conferred essential benefits on ancient societies and their successors. As "The Faith Instinct" argues however, both groups must address the fact, little understood before now, that religious behavior is an evolved part of human nature.
How did we evolve to believe? Wade shows that the instinct for religious behavior is wired into our neural circuits much like our ability to learn a language. Religion provided the earliest human societies with the equivalents of law and government, giving these societies an edge in the struggle for survival. AS a force that binds people together and coordinates social behavior, religion supported another significant set of social behaviors: aggression and warfare. Religious behavior, both good and ill, will remain an indelible component of human nature so long as human societies need the security and cohesion that belief provides.
Social scientists once predicted that religion would progressively fade away as societies advanced in wealth and education. They were wrong. The first objective and nonpolemical book of its kind, "The Faith Instinct" reveals that to understand the persistence of faith, one must first acknowledge that religious behavior is embedded in human nature.
show more
Book details
- Hardcover
- 310 pages
- English
- 1594202281
- 9781594202285
About Nicholas Wade
nicholas wade was Read More about Nicholas Wade
More Books By Nicholas Wade
People who bought this also bought
Branded? Products and their personalities book by Gareth Williams
Used Book
Surrounded by Narcissists : Or, How to Stop Other People's Egos Ruining Your Life
New Book
Surrounded by Psychopaths : or, How to Stop Being Exploited by Others
New Book
The Book of Daniel Drew: A Glimpse of the Fisk-Gould-Tweed Regime from the Inside
Used Book
Skinny Bitch : A No-nonsense, Tough-love Guide for Savvy Girls Who Want to Stop Eating Crap and Start Looking Fabulous!
Used Book
Blood and Money: The Classic True Story of Murder, Passion, and Power
Used Book
King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa
New Book