Religion in Evolutionary Perspective with Particular Reference to Its Socialization Function

Authors

  • Kinga Kowalczyk-Purol

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15633/ss.700

Keywords:

religion, evolution, sociobiology, memetics, cognitive sciences

Abstract

This paper gives an overview of the potential integrative function of religion from the evolutionary standpoint. In order to fulfill those aims, the work first addresses the characterization of the use of an evolutionary paradigm for the study of religion. In this section, the most prominent evolutionary hypotheses of religion are discussed: the sociobiological view, memetic approach and cognitive perspective. Subsequently, the article also introduces several conceptual difficulties of the whole program of Darwinian religious study. In the final part of the paper, a couple of the most important religious mechanisms of social integration are shown.

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Published

2014-11-30

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