AOF Activities & Events
Mitchell Diamond: Is Religion Evolutionarily Adaptive?
Just about a year ago, Mitchell Diamond (author of Darwin's Apple: The Evolutionary Biology of Religion) regaled us with an overview of why existing theories of religion fail -- they don't explain the persistent human drive for faith. He also briefly talked up his own new thesis for why humans have religion: he sees it as a compensating mechanism for higher-order consciousness.
In this, his second talk for us, aka "The Problem with Consciousness," Mitch will delve into the nature of human cognition and why, despite our great intelligence and advanced culture, humans—including atheists and other non-believers—are still hunter-gatherers at heart.
"God only exists as a creation of the human brain," writes Mitchell, "which means God is biological." Hmm.
Another fine event of the AOF Speaker Series. As always it's free, but if you like this talk, please consider joining AOF, and perhaps support Reason Center with a dollar or two in the donation jar. Rid yourself of that lucre, and walk lighter upon the earth.