Projection is one of the foundations of our psych. It’s how we personify inanimate objects, and it’s used to create an “us vs them” viewpoint as well if you project your own shortcomings and flaws onto others. In this way, you get to ignore your own problems because you trick yourself into thinking they are external. Usually we call that the ego.Perhaps some people really do need religion to be moral. But why do such people have to project their moral shortcomings and difficulty suppressing their desire to sin on others who don’t need religion?
This human propensity that you describe–to extrernalize our own intentions and to personify the external causes that reality imposes on us as intentional–may help to explain the phenomenon of religion. Such an explantation would need to consider the evolutionary advantage that such practices may have had at some time in the past. I think Daniel Dennet’s work may take that direction, but I haven’t read him yet. Have you?Projection is one of the foundations of our psych. It’s how we personify inanimate objects, and it’s used to create an “us vs them” viewpoint as well if you project your own shortcomings and flaws onto others. In this way, you get to ignore your own problems because you trick yourself into thinking they are external. Usually we call that the ego.
I have not - I’ve not read as much psychology/sociology as I’d like unfortunately. I find it fascinating, though a bit humbling.This human propensity that you describe–to externalize our own intentions and to personify the external causes that reality imposes on us as intentional–may help to explain the phenomenon of religion. Such an explanation would need to consider the evolutionary advantage that such practices may have had at some time in the past. I think Daniel Dennet’s work may take that direction, but I haven’t read him yet. Have you?
Best,
Leela
Just FYI, he has some good videos on Ted that I just watched…This human propensity that you describe–to extrernalize our own intentions and to personify the external causes that reality imposes on us as intentional–may help to explain the phenomenon of religion. Such an explantation would need to consider the evolutionary advantage that such practices may have had at some time in the past. I think Daniel Dennet’s work may take that direction, but I haven’t read him yet. Have you?
Best,
Leela