Chapter 5.
From the dawn of human consciousness, we’ve sought to understand the unseen forces shaping our world. While early observations readily connected a hurtling rock with a human thrower, this instinct to find agency extends beyond the tangible, leading us to seek meaning in the mysterious. It was in these realms of the unknown that the earliest narratives and forms of faith likely took root.
Biological anthropologist Professor Robin Dunbar suggests these early forms of faith were deeply intertwined with trance experiences. These were not formal religions with gods or moral codes, but rather an engagement with a spirit world accessible through altered states of consciousness, often induced by communal trance dances. Dunbar argues that these mystical experiences, triggering the release of endorphins, played a crucial role in group bonding and social cohesion. As human group sizes increased, these shared ritualistic experiences provided a new mechanism for creating a sense of community. This deep historical rooting of religion in social cohesion may also contribute to why, even as overt religious adherence declines, the “belief in belief” identified by philosopher Daniel Dennett can persist.
The human quest for agency—for the ‘who’ behind the ‘what’—gave birth to the myths that, through shared belief, grew into the diverse and complex systems we know as faith. These were a natural and deeply human response to the fundamental quest for meaning and understanding in a world that often seemed chaotic. A key aspect of this early myth-making was the personification of physical phenomena. Powerful forces of nature, from the sky and sea to storms and fertility, were attributed to the actions and intentions of deities. For the sun to be perceived as having agency—to rise and set, to bring warmth or to scorch—early humans probably concluded that it was a conscious entity, possessing will and emotion. This anthropomorphism made the vast and impersonal forces of nature more understandable.
As we observe the pantheons of early cultures around the globe, a remarkable consistency emerges. The sky and its dramatic weather were often associated with a powerful masculine deity, whether it was Zeus in Greece, Thor in Norse mythology, or Indra in the Vedic tradition. The earth, as a source of life and sustenance, was frequently personified as a nurturing maternal goddess, from Gaia in Greece to Pachamama for the Inca. This universality across diverse cultures strongly underlines that these early myths were not malicious fabrications. Instead, they likely arose from a shared human experience of trying to understand and navigate a complex world. As mythologist Joseph Campbell illuminates in The Masks of God, these figures often point towards universal archetypes of authority and nurture, reflecting our own inner landscapes projected onto the external world. The remarkable recurrence of mythic themes like the hero’s journey or the flood myth across vastly different cultures provides further evidence of a profound unity in the human experience.
This shared human experience naturally extended to how early humans engaged with these perceived agencies. The act of asking for divine intervention mirrored earnest supplications to other humans. The practice of offerings and sacrifice evolved from the human habit of giving gifts for favour. The respect shown to human leaders was mirrored in reverence for sacred spaces, and the comfort found in communal gatherings gave rise to ceremonies and festivals. The transition from oral tradition to written texts naturally imbued these foundational stories with an even greater sense of permanence and authority. The act of writing down these myths and teachings fixed them in a tangible form, making them sacred objects and strengthening the power of religious institutions and the individuals who became their custodians.
This dedicated intellectual endeavour, focused on fundamental questions of existence and meaning, gradually developed into what we now recognise as philosophy. As Joseph Campbell suggests, early mythologies served as initial frameworks for understanding the cosmos and human existence, with philosophy offering a more reasoned approach to the same deep-seated yearning for meaning. The works of Carl Jung, with his theories of archetypes and the collective unconscious, offer a framework for understanding the enduring power of these symbols. Jung posited that humanity shares universal inherited patterns of thought and imagery, which manifest as recurring motifs across cultures.
Irrespective of individual belief, or the absence thereof, one cannot help but marvel at the extraordinary human capacity that is unleashed when motivated by an underlying conviction in a shared purpose. This profound power of belief provides individuals and communities with a sense of meaning and a driving force that extends beyond the tangible.
It would be an oversight not to acknowledge faith’s unfortunate capacity for destruction. History offers countless examples where religious fervour has been twisted to justify violence, oppression, and intolerance. Dogmatic adherence to belief can actively resist the acceptance of contrary realities, hindering progress.
It is equally true that faith, and the philosophical traditions that often spring from it, have provided humanity with profound ethical frameworks and a compelling vision of our potential for good. Many faiths emphasise compassion, justice, and the inherent value of every individual, inspiring acts of altruism and the pursuit of social betterment. In examining the world’s religions through the lens of Jonathan Haidt’s moral foundations, a profound commonality emerges. All faiths, in their own ways, seek to cultivate a response to Harm and Care, advocate for Fairness and Reciprocity, foster Loyalty, establish Authority, and address Purity and Sanctity. While the expressions of these values differ, the underlying moral compass points in the same direction, highlighting our shared human aspiration for a good and meaningful life.
It is a testament to the fundamental human needs that faith-based structures address that secular movements have emerged, consciously or unconsciously mirroring some of their key aspects. Consider the Sunday Assembly, a global, secular community movement that aims to provide a sense of community, belonging, and inspiration for non-religious individuals who miss the social and spiritual aspects of church without the religious content. The emergence and growth of movements like the Sunday Assembly underscore the enduring human need for community, shared values, and a sense of purpose, even in the absence of traditional religious frameworks. This observation lends further credence to Dennett’s ‘belief in belief’ concept, suggesting that even as overt religious belief declines, the human inclination to value the functions and forms associated with religion—be it community, ritual, or shared narrative—remains powerful.
Next Chapter: Law: Diktat to the Rules Based World Order
Bibliography
Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton University Press, 2008 (Originally published 1949).
Campbell, Joseph. The Inner Reaches of Outer Space: Metaphor as Myth and as Religion. Harper Perennial, 2002 (Originally published 1986).
Campbell, Joseph. The Masks of God, Vol. 1: Primitive Mythology. Viking Penguin, 1976 (Originally published 1959).
Dennett, Daniel C. Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon. Viking, 2006.
Dunbar, Robin I. M. How Religion Evolved: And Why It Endures. Pelican Books.
Dunbar, Robin I. M. Human Evolution: A Pelican Introduction. Pelican Books, 2014.
Haidt, Jonathan. The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion. Vintage, 2013.
Jung, Carl G. The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. Princeton University Press, 1968 (Originally published 1959).