In this blog post, we will look at whether science and religion have complemented and developed each other in human history, or deepened their conflict.
From the origin of humanity to the present day, scientific theories have made astounding progress. Science has been constantly exploring to solve many mysteries, such as the origin of the universe, the birth of life, and the process of human evolution. In particular, the development of science since the mid-20th century has brought about major changes in all aspects of human life, and as a result, the scientific way of thinking has had a great impact on human thought systems and culture. But even so, there are areas that even modern scientific theories cannot clearly explain, and that is the area of religion and spirituality, which concerns transcendent beings such as gods and the absolute.
Religion has as long a tradition as human history, and it has evolved from a belief system that began with awe and fear of natural phenomena. As society became more complex and cultures became more diverse, religion became an important cultural element that comforted human life and provided moral standards. Different countries and cultures developed various religious beliefs and practices, and there are still many religions around the world. Religion has a meaning that goes beyond simple faith, and it has become deeply rooted in people’s lives, providing psychological stability and a sense of community. However, in modern society, scientific thinking and religious faith often clash, and over the years, numerous conflicts have arisen between people who believe in science and people who believe in religion.
Among them, the question “Is religion a biological adaptation of humans?” is one of the important topics that explore the relationship between science and religion. This question leads to a discussion on whether the existence and role of religion can be seen as a biological phenomenon beyond mere belief, and it leads us to examine whether religion contributes to human survival and social adaptation. If religion is a phenomenon that has inevitably emerged in the process of human adaptation, it can be understood from the perspective of human evolution. In other words, if the act of believing in religion has become established as one of the survival strategies that is advantageous to humans, it means that religion can be understood by including it in the category of scientific inquiry.
Religion is one of the forms of human spiritual culture, and it includes a way of giving meaning to and borrowing power from a transcendent being or principle in order to resolve the most fundamental anxieties, the problem of death, and serious worries among the various problems that humans face. Since the birth of humanity, religion has undergone many qualitative and quantitative changes, and even today it has a great influence on human inner life and social relationships.
The concept of adaptation refers to the phenomenon in which living organisms change their shape or lifestyle to adapt to their surroundings or living environment. According to Darwin’s theory of evolution, the shapes and habits of each species of animal are the result of adaptation to the environment. This adaptation applies to all living organisms, including humans. For example, walking upright and using language can also be seen as an adaptation to the environment. So, can the act of humans believing in religion also be seen as an adaptation?
Religion has continued to flourish in human society because it provides psychological stability and social bonds for humans. Religion not only satisfies the emotional thirst of individuals, but also strengthens social cohesion by providing moral standards and emphasizing the common good rather than self-interest. For this reason, groups with religion may have had a higher survival rate than groups without religion. From the perspective of natural selection, the proportion of religious groups may have gradually increased. Therefore, it has been argued that religion may be the result of adaptation as part of human survival strategies.
Just as natural selection begins with a compromise between the structure of an organism and its environment, humans have also faced numerous physical and mental crises throughout their lives. In the process, the claim that people have sought mental stability through religious faith to overcome anxiety and fear and have adapted in a direction that is favorable to survival has validity. In particular, religious beliefs have had a positive impact on human mental health and will to live by providing comfort and answers to the ultimate anxiety of death.
However, there are also those who disagree with the proposition that “religion is adaptation.” Just as living organisms maintain unfavorable mutations or specific physical structures during the process of adaptation, religion cannot necessarily be seen as having evolved only in a direction that is suitable for the environment. For example, the mouth and organ structures of terrestrial vertebrates remain in an inconvenient form during the process of evolution, which can cause a risk of blockage of the airway when swallowing food. This shows that evolution does not always proceed in a beneficial direction. Similarly, just because religion has had a positive impact on humans does not necessarily mean that it is an adaptation.
Also, from the perspective of science, the concept of adaptation is validated through predictability and confirmability. On the other hand, religious beliefs are based on faith in transcendent truth, not empirical proof or prediction. Defenders of intelligent design also claim that religious beliefs are not a mere byproduct of evolution, but the result of divine intervention. They believe that spiritual forces beyond the physical world influence the existence and evolution of living organisms, but such views are difficult to prove using a scientific approach. Religion is by no means something that can be scientifically proven, and attempts to prove the existence of a divine being are beyond the scope of science.
Cognitive science, which studies how religious beliefs are formed in human psychology, also offers an interesting perspective. The latest research in cognitive science based on evolutionary biology explains that religion and belief in supernatural beings are naturally produced by the interaction of human cognitive and emotional mechanisms. This suggests that religion is not simply something that is instilled from the outside, but is the result of the interaction of various cognitive and psychological mechanisms in humans.
Finally, there is also a certain percentage of people in human society who do not believe in religion. This suggests that religion is not necessarily the result of human adaptation or that those who do not believe in religion have failed to adapt. Whether religion itself is a product of adaptation is a matter of debate, but whether individuals believe in it or not is not the subject of the current discussion. In addition, religious beliefs change through social transmission and cultural diversity, so the current increase in the number of people who do not have religious beliefs does not mean that religion is not an adaptive phenomenon.
Religion is an important element in which humans find a haven for their minds in the midst of life’s crises. Religion has served as an element that provides benefits to both individuals and groups in terms of health as well as psychological stability. Considering these various circumstances, religion can be said to have emerged as a part of an adaptive phenomenon in the process of human evolution.
