How Religion Evolved
Religion examined as a bonding technology, and the question of what holds a group larger than instinct allows.
Robin Dunbar, the evolutionary psychologist behind Dunbar’s number, asks what religion is for in evolutionary terms. His answer is social: religious practice binds groups larger than our instincts can otherwise hold together, through ritual, trance and shared endorphin-releasing behaviour. The book treats belief as a bonding technology and traces it from small foraging bands to organised faiths.
Recommended by 1 Person
Derek Sivers
Great anthropology! So many insights into religions, tribes, friendships, organizations, the evolution of minds, superstition, and more. Got me thinking most about friendships.
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