The article, Religion a Figment of Human Imagination, as published in the New Scientific Journal by Andy Coghlan embraces the school of thought as put forth by Maurice Bloch. This article, published in April 2008, tries to contest the widely appreciated beliefs about religion and its connection with the human mind through the theory of evolution of the mind. Coghlan (2008) supports the arguments of Bloch that “…religion is only a result of the evolved human imagination” (p.1). According to the article, religion is an independent institution.
Article Synopsis
In this article, Coghlan simply takes religion as an independent institution and tries to justify his sentiments through the theory of the mind as expressed by Bloch. This is quite incredible considering that one cannot be held or interrogated religion separately without other major factors such as language considerations. Concurring with the article, as Bloch argues, the evolution of the mind comes along with other characteristics of human nature that include even art appreciation and the relationship with others in the society as well as the recognition of the supernatural. Language plays a major role in shaping religion and there can never be an acceptable mention of religion without saying anything about language.
Coghlan in this article seems so charmed by Bloch’s arguments that he fails to acknowledge the possibility of there being other causes responsible for the spring out of religion. He majorly attributes this to the so-called “transcendental social” as put forth by Bloch (2008, p.1). The article illustrates sociological theory and concepts.
Sociological Theory and Concepts
This sense of social cohesion may have been triggered by other factors that have not been touched on in this article. Adaptation to the changing climatic conditions and the desire to fulfill certain human conditions may also have contributed to this. Bloch’s argument about the animals not having any sense of connection with either their past or their present is also hard to believe. This is considering the behaviors of some animals some of which do not even relate to humans such as elephants. Records have it that elephants show a possible bond with the dead in that they perform burial rites for a dead colleague. Since the nature of other animals is not understandable by the human mind, it is clear that Bloch’s idea, as put forth by Coghlan calls for more effective backup by scientific evidence rather than mere speculations. Animals portray a sense of what Bloch terms as “transcendental social” in that they seem to acknowledge the company of others. This fact contests the notion that it is the evolved mind as argued by Bloch, which determines and inspires their interactions. However, the article is subject to personal opinions.
Personal Opinions
The fact that there are still people living in the current world who do not appreciate or fall under any religious affiliations raises eyebrows on the argument of Coghlan (2008) that “…once humans cross this divide, there was no going back” (p.2). Religion, as far as facts support is a personal choice. Therefore, whether to believe in the supernatural or not, lies greatly upon the personal interests of an individual. There are still incidences of other people whose cults which inform their religions touch nothing on the belief in the afterlife in that they simply do not believe in it. Bloch in his theory tries to bond religion completely with the belief in the supernatural and a connection between the dead and the living, which are common beliefs mostly for churches and aspects proven to exist even in separation.
Reference
Coghlan, A. (2008). Religion a Figment of Human Imagination. New Scientific Journal, 2.