Episode description

World renowned biological anthropologist Mel Konner examines the nature of human nature, including and especially in his new book the nature of religiosity. In Believers, Konner, who was raised in an orthodox Jewish home but has been an atheist his entire adult life, responds to attacks on faith by some well-meaning scientists and philosophers, most notably the “new atheists” Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens―known for writing about religion as something irrational and ultimately harmful. Konner explores the psychology, development, brain science, evolution, and even genetics of the varied religious impulses we experience as a species. Konner and Shermer discuss:

• the nature of human nature
• what is religion?
• what is faith?
• is religion and faith adaptive or the byproduct of some other evolved adaptation?
• his experience living among hunter-gatherers
• how hunter-gatherers conceive of religion vs. modern peoples
• the “Big Gods” theory of religion
• the “God Module” theory of religion
• the group selection theory of religion
• why faith is not for everyone
• the rise of the nones, but why religion will never completely die out
• the upside of religion … and the downside
• were our paleolithic ancestors warlike or peaceful?
• would you want to switch places and live in a hunter-gatherer society?
• why for at least a large minority of humanity, the belief in things unseen neither can nor should go away.

Melvin Konner, MD, is Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor in the Department of Anthropology and the Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology at Emory University. He is the author of Believers, Women After All, Becoming a Doctor, and The Tangled Wing, among other books.

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