Is Spirituality a Byproduct of Evolution?

[54anickel]

I found this interesting, being of a spiritual nature myself.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-graziano/spirituality-as-byproduct-of-evolution_b_918801.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008

snip>
If spiders could ever become super intelligent, they might see the world through the metaphor of a web. They might talk about sticky strands of thought. They might envision a universe pulled out of a spinneret. They might judge beauty by radial symmetry. Looking at the moon, they might see a web-in-the-moon instead of a man-in-the-moon. The natural talent of humans is to spin metaphors of minds and intentions, and that is how we evaluate almost everything around us. We understand and react to the world through our social capability. It defines us more than any other trait. Even language is a refinement of social communication. We are truly Homo socialis.

Yet the theory that spirituality is a product of social intelligence seems to have certain limitations. If spirituality is defined rather narrowly as the human tendency to believe in a spirit world -- in ghosts, gods, angels, and life after death -- then the explanation is plausible. We believe in spirits because we are predisposed to see minds in the things around us. But to most people, spirituality has a much larger halo of meaning including moral decency and love and religious awe and an all-embracing sense of fellowship. How are these spiritual experiences products of an evolved social machinery?

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[dmallind]

1. An interesting question - and quite probably, nay nigh certainly, yes

After all, if any trait comes from something OTHER THAN evolution, then those of us who are not "spiritual" have somewhat conceded the case from the outset.

Certainly the pattern-seeking nature of the human intellect is not bound by seeking immanent and naturalistic patterns, and obviously our intellect is what allowed a slow, weak, naturally unarmed and fragile species like us to survive when facing both food animals and prey that are stronger, faster and more durable. That this intellect anthropomorphizes incorrigibly probably isn't an evolutionary advantage per se, but it's bundled with the thing that is, so we're stuck with it.

Spirituality is sort of the power-windows that comes along with the AC and car stereo of our brains. We don't need it - might even prefer to avoid it, but it's included in the package that is essential, so we get it anyway.

[54anickel]

9. Thanks for the reply. You lost me for a bit there, but I LOVE the summary paragraph. n/t

[Jim__]

2. I think that's probable.

I also think that the implication of his statement: (i)f spiders could ever become super intelligent, they might see the world through the metaphor of a web is that humans are super intelligent. I don't think that's true. We are sufficiently intelligent to dominate a world stocked with brutish intelligence. Human history says that our intelligence also lies at the level of brute intelligence.

And, as to his love to see:

I would love to see us humans tackle our world problems rationally, but it is difficult to do that without first understanding who we are, and my interest, scientifically speaking, is to understand who we are. We are beings that do not see the world literally or dispassionately. We see the world filtered through our most developed talent, our social intelligence, and spirituality is a direct consequence.

I agree that the best aspects of our intelligence are intimately tied to our social natures. Our best hopes lie in developing our intelligence along those lines.

[rrneck]

3. If we can imagine

an infinity of space and time, surely we can imagine an infinity of emotion.

If we can imagine what another might think, surely we can imagine what they might feel.

It feels good to cooperate, and we are designed to create systems to facilitate that feeling.

[Kurmudgeon]

4. Only if you think people are genetic robots. Decide for yourself.

[54anickel]

10. Interesting...so is "spiritualism" the result of a decision-making process for you?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

5. Each and every trait every living being has is a byproduct of evolution. -nt

[Victor Waldman]

6. Evolution itself did not promote spiritualism.

As with all mammals, humans have a necessity and even a natural desire for someone else to be their leader. So, it is necessary that there are humans who have the natural tendency to follow and that there are humans who have the natural tendency to lead. Spirituality plays a part because it allows those humans who are more likely to follow to have a forever-existing leader, and it allows those humans are more likely to lead to have the means of leading others. It is the need of structure, leaders, and followers in order for mammals to survive that gives way to humans' susceptibility to and desire for spiritualism. Evolution itself did not promote spiritualism: Evolution promoted social structure, and social structure promoted spiritualism.

[dtexdem]

7. Since we are, of course it is, too.

Says nothing about the truth of spirituality beliefs (agnostic here); but we are all products of evolution.

[GKirk]

8. Religion itself has evolved...

...from cavemen worshipping fire and the sun, to the Egyptians and Romans with
their god for every purpose to today's religions which claim to be monotheistic.

[54anickel]

11. Thank you. So do you consider religion and spirituality to be the same thing?

[GKirk]

12. I guess I need your definition of spirituality

Would spirituality be believing in a god or gods without belonging to an established religion?