An Evolutionary Model of Early Theology When Moral and Religious Capacities Converge

IF 0.6 Q4 PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Journal of Cognition and Culture Pub Date : 2024-08-23 DOI:10.1163/15685373-12340190

Margaret Boone Rappaport, Christopher J. Corbally

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Abstract

This analysis summarizes conclusions on an evolutionary model for the origin of moral and religious capacities in the genus Homo. The authors’ published model (2020, Routledge) is now extended to the emergence of nascent theological thinking, augmenting the previous line of theory based on genomics, cognitive science, neuroscience, paleoneurology, cognitive archaeology, ethnography, and modern social science. This analysis concludes that findings support the earliest theological thinking in Homo sapiens, but not in an earlier species, Homo erectus, and clarifies why and when it likely began. Types of anatomy, behavior, neurology, and cognition are presented that support tendencies to frame a structure of religious principles and a set of supernatural figures that early humans would consider right, just, exemplary, and even sacred. Stages of emergent physical, behavioral, and cognitive features are presented in tables. While based on published research results in the sciences, the model is presented here with anticipation of future testing.

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当道德和宗教能力趋同时的早期神学进化模式

本分析总结了关于智人道德和宗教能力起源的进化模型的结论。作者已发表的模型（2020 年，Routledge）现在扩展到了新生神学思维的出现，增强了之前基于基因组学、认知科学、神经科学、古神经学、认知考古学、人种学和现代社会科学的理论体系。本分析报告的结论是，研究结果支持智人最早的神学思维，但不支持更早的物种--直立人的神学思维，并阐明了神学思维可能开始的原因和时间。研究介绍了解剖学、行为学、神经学和认知学的类型，这些类型支持早期人类构建宗教原则结构和一系列超自然人物的倾向，这些超自然人物被认为是正确、公正、模范甚至神圣的。出现的生理、行为和认知特征的阶段以表格形式呈现。虽然该模型是基于已发表的科学研究成果，但我们在此提出该模型是希望将来能够得到验证。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Cognition and Culture PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY-

CiteScore

1.10

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal of Cognition and Culture provides an interdisciplinary forum for exploring the mental foundations of culture and the cultural foundations of mental life. The primary focus of the journal is on explanations of cultural phenomena in terms of acquisition, representation and transmission involving cognitive capacities without excluding the study of cultural differences. The journal contains articles, commentaries, reports of experiments, and book reviews that emerge out of the inquiries by, and conversations between, scholars in experimental psychology, developmental psychology, social cognition, neuroscience, human evolution, cognitive science of religion, and cognitive anthropology.