Are We Natural Born Creationists/Dualists?

An interesting theory to consider.

http://mixingmemory.blogspot.com/2006/03/thinking-about-evolution-cognitive.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200511u/paul-bloom

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Descartes-Baby-Child-Development-Explains/dp/00994379...

It was my MySpace page, NOT my MSN page (if there is such a thing). I told you I couldnt talk.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Creationism
• Creationists
• Soul
• Dualism
• Psychology
• Evolution
• Paul
• Bloom
• Clutch
• Clutchology

[HaleyMary]

I think it is true that when we are kids, we do have this internal belief that our body is separate from our soul. As we grow older and learn more about science I think we could dispel the idea of soul. Consciousness tends to be more a part of our physical nature and can't exist outside of ourselves. Energy in whatever atomic form exists may go on, but I'm not sure if anyone can actually be conscious of it because after death and even before birth, there would be no-one to be conscious.

[Clutchology]

Yes. Consciousness is a feature of the brain, not the 'soul'. Our energy continues by the law of thermodynamics, but our brain itself diminishes, so our consciousness does also. I was lucky enough to dispell the concept of a soul at a very early age, but many people are held in place by the new age ideas that are spreading around and such.

[Clutchology]

I think there's no doubt about our tendency to anthropomorphise and assign teleology to things, but whether it leads to a natural creationism/dualism perspective is more uncertain. It would be interesting if it were true. It sounds similar to the 'God gene' thing that went up a few years ago.

[UnknownSnapple]

Rhys you legend cheers for the shoutout mate

[Clutchology]

No problem.

[b991228]

You said at six you discarded religion. My friends would tell you that you have a religious disability. I think I might have it too. Because I have never been able to understand what my friends are talking about with this God and the Soul thing they consider me a bit daft. I don't say it but I think they could use a little common sense themselves. Could it be that there are just two groups of people out there that are created/evolved to always see the world differently?

[robertangel30]

very interesting take.

[NotTooObvious]

richard dawkins talks about it in the god delusion

[NotTooObvious]

yes, there is a lot of research on this. it is the same thing that allows kids to have imaginary friends and believe in santa and the easter bunny. kids would outgrow this once their brain develops, but adults tell them these far out religious stories and they see the adults still believe it, so the kids believe it. there is also research on the fact that for species survival, kids listen to their parents. they teach them things that help them survive. so, the perfect recipe for brainwashing

[pdoeman]

I'm reading a book onthe brain and the mind.

I suspect that our culture and language uses dualist models.

Unless you totally seperate a child from our culture, which is neither possible not ethical, it's going to be difficult to know for sure.

[JohnLArmstrong]

Just some food for thought:

Belief in God and belief in souls are two different things and not necessarily related.

Buddhists believe in reincarnation but not God. Some sects of Judaism believe in God (Yahweh) but not souls or an afterlife. I've personally known one atheist who believes in reincarnation. Some deists/pantheists (most famously, Einstein) rejected the idea of an afterlife.

[CONaruto]

Cool video, very interesting idea. Although I think you are right when you say that natural dualism could be attributed more to man's tendency to see purpose in things naturally, but like you said theres no way to really know for sure. It'll be interesting to see if anything else develops from the idea.