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I think Richard Dawkins's work on animal signals may shed some light on religious ideas as phenotypic tools for deception and manipulation. If culture is an adaptive product of evolution, then certain political and religious ideas themselves may be effective manipulative signals that influence the behavior of others, for the genetic benefit of the manipulators. Likewise, we should expect mind reading mechanisms to evolve to counter the manipulative influence of certain ideas, and an arms race to ensue. Religious memes may be especially virulent because they are products of both genetic and cultural evolution towards better and better manipulative signals.
Permalink Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:18:00 UTC | #427817