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Interfaith Group

TreasonousBastard

(43,049 posts)

19. Probably it in a nutshell...

Reply to cbayer (Reply #2)

Sat Mar 30, 2013, 10:05 AM

Mar 2013

I suspect animal social behavior is somewhat evolutionary, and the social animals within a species have significant advantages over the anarchic ones.

At some point our wiser ancestors also realized working together and having social rules was a good thing, and having them ordered by a powerful deity would add credence and get most people in line. Eventually, this religious ethic can, and probably will, become the norm for society simply because it works.

Deities and afterlives are also handy for dealing with injustices and pain in this life, too, so I can't imagine a species with as much imagination as ours not having them.

Whether they exist or not, and I truly do not know, deities are highly useful things.

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Highlight:

Frans de Waal's Bottom-Up Morality: We're Not Good Because Of God [View all] cbayer Mar 2013 OP

Ronald Dworkin's last book - to be published posthumously - partially agrees with de Waal's views. Jim__ Mar 2013 #1

I have read a number of interesting reviews of this book cbayer Mar 2013 #2

Probably it in a nutshell... TreasonousBastard Mar 2013 #19

I agree with you, particularly your last line. cbayer Mar 2013 #20

And that's from the duality of our own nature, not... TreasonousBastard Mar 2013 #22

I've always been intrigued with the concept that - God didn't create humans, humans created god. pinto Mar 2013 #3

I have often thought that as well. cbayer Mar 2013 #4

In Plato's Euthyphro, Socrates asked the question Fortinbras Armstrong Mar 2013 #5

Good question without an answer, I would think cbayer Mar 2013 #6

I mainly said it to show that the question has been asked for a very long time Fortinbras Armstrong Mar 2013 #7

I hear you. This is some interesting research, though. cbayer Mar 2013 #8

The gods of Socrates' Greece skepticscott Mar 2013 #14

I think we can all agree that H. sap, as welll as other species, arrive in the world okasha Mar 2013 #9

I heard a great story on Science Friday today about babies. cbayer Mar 2013 #10

I don't remember the name of the study offhand,, but there was a seminal experiment okasha Mar 2013 #11

It's was Milgram's Obedience experiments. cbayer Mar 2013 #12

Thanks. okasha Mar 2013 #13

Got the book marions ghost Mar 2013 #15

You might also like Chimpanzee politics. cbayer Mar 2013 #16

Just noted that this is the same author - completely missed that. cbayer Mar 2013 #17

Thanks marions ghost Mar 2013 #18

Lol! Wait until someone tells her about the mold slime! cbayer Mar 2013 #21