On Human Nature

Of all human behaviors, the “predisposition to religious belief is the most complex and powerful force in the human mind and in all probability an ineradicable part of human nature” (169). In every instance of recorded human history, there has been evidence of religious beliefs and practices of some kind. While skeptics of religious belief may desire its removal from human culture by scientific study, there is no evidence that this will be the case. Skeptics have adopted one approach to religion, while others have taken to compartmentalization—in which religion and science can coexist as two different modes of viewing the world. The paradox of religion and science’s coexistence is that “societies progress by knowledge but survive on inspiration derived from the very beliefs which that knowledge erodes” (172). The existence and persistence of religious practice are due to the two factors of “genetic advantage” and “evolutionary change” (172).

As with all human institutions, the evolution of religion is directly related to the manner in which it enhances human flourishing (at least for those who practice it). The practice of religion can be beneficial to both individual and group. What makes the practice of religion curious from a genetic perspective is that religion is “the process by which individuals are persuaded to subordinate their immediate self-interest to the interests of the group” (176)—which is theoretically disadvantageous for an individual. However, the individual often sacrifices short-term goals or benefits for the sake of long-term benefits, even if the one long-term benefit is the opportunity to belong to an established, stable group.

Religious groups provide opportunities for individuals to transcend the limits of their own circumstances—yet, the question of genetic foundation is still present: “Is the readiness to be indoctrinated a neurologically based learning rule that evolved through the selection of clans competing one against the other?” (184). The biological roots of religious belief lie in the need to willingly submit to a group and its leader for the common good of the community, while believing one’s group is in the right and rival groups are enemies. This manner of viewing the world is evolutionarily advantageous because it allows one to fight for the survival of one’s own group, while making it easier to dehumanize rival groups and ultimately eradicate them. Again, Edward O. Wilson doesn’t necessarily concern himself with the morality of religious belief and practice.

As for the positive, the advantages that stem from religious belief and practice are their enabling of societal interaction. In the absence of a governing body, individuals would need to work out the rules of behavior on their own and “society as a whole would disintegrate into chaos” (185). Conformity is beneficial as it allows an individual to enjoy as many communal benefits as possible with minimal effort.