O explicatie a religiei / An explanation of religion

Richard Dawkins, in capitolul 5 din ultima sa carte, "Amagirea numita Dumnezeu" (The God Delusion), incearca sa explice din punct de vedere evolutionist, originile pornirilor religioase ale omului. Potrivit autorului, religia este un produs secundar al evolutie. In acest sens el face o paralela cu tendinta moliei de a fi atrasa de lumina becului, fenomen care, aparent, contravine instinctului de conservare al acesteia, avand in vedere ca atrage dupa sine moartea moliei. Ce legatura exista intre religie si tendinta moliei de a fi atrasa de lumina becului? Aparent, ambele ar fi niste produse secundare (by-products) ale unor adaptari anterioare. In cazul moliei, atractia spre lumina are un rol ancestral bine definit in conditii naturale, si anume in orientarea dupa lumina lunii si a stelelor pe timp de noapte. Aceeasi adaptare devine maladaptativa in conditiile oferite de civilizatia moderna.Molia nu face diferenta dintre lumina naturala a lunii sau a stelelor si lumina artificiala a becului, ceea ce-i aduce moartea. In ceea ce priveste religia, aceasta si-ar avea originile ancestrale in tendinta naturala a copiilor de a asimila tot ceea ce le spun parintii sau cei in varsta. In conditiile unei vieti in mijlocul naturii, aceasta adaptare este foarte utila, deoarece ii fereste de pericole. Insa aceasta adaptare a fost exploatata prin inocularea unor idei care nu au nici o legatura cu supravietuirea, cum ar fi conceptiile religioase.

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Richard DAwkins, in the 5th chapter of his latest book, "The God Delusion", is trying to explain, from an evolutionary standpoint, the origins of human religiousness. According to the author, religion is a by-product of evolution. Hence, he speaks about the moth's tendency to be attracted by artificial light, which contradicts its survival instinct, because it ends in the moth's death. What is the relation between the moth's attraction for artificial light and religion? Apparently, both are by-products of previous adaptations. The moth's attraction for light has a very important adaptive function in nature, because it helps to navigate during the night using the moonlight or the light of the stars. The same adaptation turns maladaptive in the modern world, because the moth doesn’t differentiate between natural and artificial light, which brings it's death. The same with religion. The author states that it has it's ancestral origins in the natural tendency of children to assimilate everything from the parents or the elders. In the middle of nature this adaptation is very useful, because it defends against dangers. But the same adaptation was exploited to indoctrinate children with ideas which have no survival value at all, like religion.