Posted by Cornfed on
URL: https://coalpha.arkian.net/Turning-to-Religion-tp7400752p7575083.html

The thing is that a society of atomized individuals pursuing their own momentary self-interest doesn't really work in the long term. It is not efficient can't accomplish a lot of worthwhile goals very well. A society needs a unifying common goal outside of its individual components to work towards. Apparently hunter-gatherer societies that had not had contact with agricultural/industrial civilization had a kind of mind-meld going where they thought in groups rather than as individuals and operated like the fingers of a hand. In order to get agricultural/industrial societies to operate like this and reap the benefits, religion seems to be necessary.