[extropy-chat] 'a process of non-thinking called faith' 2 (2)

[Keith Henson]

At 01:21 AM 11/16/2006 -0500, Anna wrote:
>At 11:31 PM 2/22/2006 -0500, Anna wrote:
>snip
> >Well then:
> >Eliezer I believe you can give me a scientific
> >explanation of faith?
>
> >>If Eliezer does not respond in a few days, ask me.
>
> >>Keith
>
>I gave him a year.
>Can you give me a scientific explanation of faith?
>
>Just curious.
>Anna:)

Faith is a manifestation of the psychological mechanism that (in 
appropriate conditions) leads to wars.  Wars were the evolved hunter 
gatherer mechanism for keeping the human population in bounds that could be 
supported by the ecosystem.

The reason a mechanism evolved at all was that humans became the top 
predator at least by the time we had fire and probably by the time our 
remote ancestors had sharp rocks.

Since nothing else controlled humans numbers, and humans reproduced at more 
than replacement we had to become our own predator.  (That is prior to 
effective birth control.)

Under non stressed circumstances the ability to think rationally is an 
asset.  But at times, when facing starvation and the need to make war on 
neighbors, the interest of the individual and his genes diverge (because of 
copies in relatives).  Under such circumstances gene constructed mental 
mechanisms switch off rational thinking and lead to attacks (like the 
Rwanda genocide).

Just as BDSM sex is a side effect of capture-bonding (look it up) 
non-thinking faith is a side effect of rational thought suppressing 
mechanisms selected because of population growth and wars that functioned 
to limit the population in the stone age.

This is, of course, an evolutionary psychology approach to the question of 
faith.

Keith Henson