The New York Times is running a piece entiteld Darwin’s God. Which analyzes why throughout human history mankind has universally had some sort of belief in a god and or the supernatural. The article summarizes the work DR Scott Atran, who has spent several years researching and hypothesizing the reason why anthropologists are constantly finding religious artifacts among dead and living civilizations. His argument boils down to the concept that the belief in a higher power is a side effect of our ability quickly asses our surroundings in order that we survive. The example given:
Agent detection evolved because assuming the presence of an agent — which is jargon for any creature with volitional, independent behavior — is more adaptive than assuming its absence. If you are a caveman on the savannah, you are better off presuming that the motion you detect out of the corner of your eye is an agent and something to run from, even if you are wrong. If it turns out to have been just the rustling of leaves, you are still alive; if what you took to be leaves rustling was really a hyena about to pounce, you are dead.
The problem with his argument is that he doesn’t take it to its logical conclusion. If you did take the argument to the logical conclusion you would arrive at the fact that nothing exists at all unless there was a primary first cause, out side the natural system, a higher power if you will. Don’t take my word for it as Alvin Plantinga has argued it much more eloquently.
- Origional Thesis: An Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism
- an mp3 of Alvin Plantinga presenting his thesis to a group of philosophers
- A paper responding to the criticisms of his thesis An Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism titled: Naturalism Defeated