If that were true, why has no documented civilization or precivilization existed without an element of spirituality or religion in their history?
The point is Spirituality came first, and based on evidence, was needed for humans to form groups larger than a small family unit as a way to unify "morals".
"What if we had science instead" is a moot point because we have Science now and proved early humans wrong.
My argument is that a "unified morality" can only be the result of a Spiritual or Religious belief structure due to the subjective nature of morality, the need for it to be easily communicated and enforced, and the need for a "bigger than me" idea to connect the species to in order to follow.
I support this by the fact that the evidence we have of Human civilization, and precivilization humans, demonstrates a spiritual belief structure in all documented groups.
This is not to say that morality in the modern age requires either Spirituality or Religion, because it doesn't due to the thousands of years of "debate", but that the formation of these things were necessary to bring our species together into larger groups because there is no inherent moral code in humans, and we are simply animals who need to be taught everything to survive by our elders and peers.
I do not believe in a "God" and I am not arguing that one is required for morality to exist, but I am saying that spirituality is the precursor to the idea of "morality" and required for "morality" to form in the first place.
Quite possibly, I’m a devout athiest so don’t even begin to think in any religious or spiritual terms (could you tell?!)
I don't believe in Spiritual things. I know they are made up, and I know there is no argument or evidence to support the belief that any "God" exists. If something "Supernatural" exists (It doesn't, but Gorillas were once a "cryptid" like big foot until we finally got one. haha), it is just a natural event we can now explain. So I would say we agree. haha
Other than the "Atheist" thing only because I don't want to label myself something that theists came up with, even if by definition one could argue I am one. haha
But yes, I certainly agree with that statement without argument. Thanks for the discussion :)
Awesome! Thanks for the great discussion! :)
If you have a point to make, make it. Otherwise go away if you aren't going to engage in good faith discussion.
Glad you took the time to read this.
I live to learn. haha
The paragraph “Religion likely evolved by building on morality, introducing supernatural agents to encourage cooperation and restrain selfishness, which enhanced group survival. Additionally, emotions like disgust play a key evolutionary role in moral judgments by helping to avoid threats to health, reproduction, and social cohesion.”
What I don't like about this argument is it must separate Humans from animals in order to make "Morality" and "Premoral behavior" different things, when it is clearly the same and we don't call other species exhibiting those traits "moral". It seems disingenuous when discussing precivilization humans living in small groups to not compare them to other animals in the same situation today and call what we had "premoral behavior" instead of calling it "morality".
We are just a species of animal at the end of the day, and should study ourselves with that lens.
You say that it’s required to bring together larger populations, but plant cultivation - the beginnings of farming will be far more significant.
This is also very important, but without the ability to maintain larger groups, plant cultivation is a hard skill to maintain an oral history for.
As a slightly sideways thought, take a look at e.g. African tribal social structures - relatively small population groups (villages) may exists with low/intermittent positive interaction (not fighting over resources), but can still share similar or near identical spiritual beliefs and moral codes. I.e. one does not automatically determine the other. They can develop side by side or independently.
They do not exist in isolation, and do interact with one another peacefully as you said.
I would argue the shared beliefs result in that lasting peace between tribes, and likely was negotiated in blood before it was in language.
I know you aren't. Yet you are still dying ignorantly on this hill. Again, thanks for the laugh sweetums. I won't waste further time with you, have a good one snookiepoo.
We are in a time now where morality does not require spirituality or religion. My point is that it was required to get our species to the point we are at now by unifying a "moral code", and all evidence we have supports that idea.
I am not arguing for religion or spirituality in the modern age, I am saying it served a purpose.
I’d disagree with that as well. I believe that “why did that storm happen?” “Why did drought kill everyone?” Etc - “the spirits and gods are angry!” As an answer in the absence of the level of scientific knowledge to expain it is the starting point.
Bear in mind that these questions will have existed before complex language developed. And you can’t develop a widespread religion without consistant communication. You can’t form the concept of a spirit or god without generations of discussion.
My point is you cannot form a consistent "morality" in a species without first developing spirituality and religion through generations of very small groups of people making shit up to explain the world around them, and all evidence we have suggests that all early humans had spiritual practices and the unifying of those practices caused our population to grow with a "universal morality".
Again, you underestimate idiots.
This sounds like you agree with me.
I sincerely do not believe you understand English well enough to understand what I am saying, and I do not have the ability to explain it any better than I already have.
If you are hung up on the whole "God" thing, know it isn't about that.