From: Adrian `Guru Zeb` Harper (guruzeb@blueyonder.co.uk)
Date: Wed Sep 19 2001 - 12:44:45 MDT
Zeb wrote:
What i am now wondering are the evolved human features that allow the
irrational
constructs to exist an important or even essential component of sentience.
Rafal Smigrodzki Wrote:
### The book "Religion explained" (I forgot it's author's name), recently discussed on this list, gives some coherent, detailed and quite compelling answers to this question.
Our evolved neural mechanisms, mainly devoted to the analysis of social interactions (intuitive psychology) are prone to recognize certain ideas as "salient", leading to many inferences, and therefore likely to be remembered. These ideas evolve over time and gain sophistication, co-opting many parts of our brain in their spread. What starts as a vague idea of "ancestors" who know of our misdeeds and can be bargained with, develops over a few thousand years into a complicated system of rules and fantasies, intricately linked to the fabric of the society, and supported by secondary types of interactions (coalition building, formation of memetic "brand names", like Christianity, and others).
Good book. I knew religion was silly since I was 7 years old but now I know why it is so persistent.
The AI, if executed properly, could be just as impervious to Rev. Falwell's blandishments as the staunchest infidels on our list, if not more.
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