Evolving brains, emerging gods: early humans and the origins of religion

Book Cover
Average Rating
Publisher:
Columbia University Press
Pub. Date:
[2017]
Language:
English
Description
"Religions and mythologies from around the world teach that God or gods created humans. Atheist, humanist, and materialist critics, meanwhile, have attempted to turn theology on its head, claiming that religion is a human invention. In this book, E. Fuller Torrey draws on cutting-edge neuroscience research to propose a startling answer to the ultimate question. Evolving Brains, Emerging Gods locates the origin of gods within the human brain, arguing that religious belief is a by-product of evolution. Based on an idea originally proposed by Charles Darwin, Torrey marshals evidence that the emergence of gods was an incidental consequence of several evolutionary factors. Using data ranging from ancient skulls and artifacts to brain imaging, primatology, and child development studies, this book traces how new cognitive abilities gave rise to new behaviors. For instance, autobiographical memory, the ability to project ourselves backward and forward in time, gave Homo sapiens a competitive advantage. However, it also led to comprehension of mortality, spurring belief in an alternative to death. Torrey details the neurobiological sequence that explains why the gods appeared when they did, connecting archaeological findings including clothing, art, farming, and urbanization to cognitive developments. This book does not dismiss belief but rather presents religious belief as an inevitable outcome of brain evolution. Providing clear and accessible explanations of evolutionary neuroscience, Evolving Brains, Emerging Gods will shed new light on the mechanics of our deepest mysteries."
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ISBN:
9780231183369
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Grouping Information

Grouped Work ID62e789d0-710e-2a4c-482f-3caa1d37feb9
Grouping Titleevolving brains emerging gods early humans and the origins of religion
Grouping Authore fuller torrey
Grouping Categorybook
Grouping LanguageEnglish (eng)
Last Grouping Update2024-03-17 17:34:21PM
Last Indexed2024-03-27 23:05:39PM

Solr Fields

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Torrey, E. Fuller (Edwin Fuller), 1937-
author_display
Torrey, E. Fuller
display_description
"Religions and mythologies from around the world teach that God or gods created humans. Atheist, humanist, and materialist critics, meanwhile, have attempted to turn theology on its head, claiming that religion is a human invention. In this book, E. Fuller Torrey draws on cutting-edge neuroscience research to propose a startling answer to the ultimate question. Evolving Brains, Emerging Gods locates the origin of gods within the human brain, arguing that religious belief is a by-product of evolution. Based on an idea originally proposed by Charles Darwin, Torrey marshals evidence that the emergence of gods was an incidental consequence of several evolutionary factors. Using data ranging from ancient skulls and artifacts to brain imaging, primatology, and child development studies, this book traces how new cognitive abilities gave rise to new behaviors. For instance, autobiographical memory, the ability to project ourselves backward and forward in time, gave Homo sapiens a competitive advantage. However, it also led to comprehension of mortality, spurring belief in an alternative to death. Torrey details the neurobiological sequence that explains why the gods appeared when they did, connecting archaeological findings including clothing, art, farming, and urbanization to cognitive developments. This book does not dismiss belief but rather presents religious belief as an inevitable outcome of brain evolution. Providing clear and accessible explanations of evolutionary neuroscience, Evolving Brains, Emerging Gods will shed new light on the mechanics of our deepest mysteries."
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Books
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Book
id
62e789d0-710e-2a4c-482f-3caa1d37feb9
isbn
9780231183369
itype_eh
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last_indexed
2024-03-28T05:05:39.340Z
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literary_form
Non Fiction
literary_form_full
Non Fiction
primary_isbn
9780231183369
publishDate
2017
publisher
Columbia University Press
recordtype
grouped_work
subject_facet
Anthropology of religion
Brain -- Evolution
Religion -- Philosophy
title_display
Evolving brains, emerging gods : early humans and the origins of religion
title_full
Evolving brains, emerging gods : early humans and the origins of religion / E. Fuller Torrey
title_short
Evolving brains, emerging gods
title_sub
early humans and the origins of religion
topic_facet
Anthropology of religion
Brain
Evolution
Philosophy
Religion

Solr Details Tables

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ils:.b2564807xBookBooksEnglishColumbia University Press[2017]xv, 291 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

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