Wilson explores the intersection of evolutionary biology and religion, proposing that religion, despite its seemingly irrational aspects, serves as a powerful engine for human cooperation. He uses diverse examples, including Calvinism in Geneva, the Water Temple System of Bali, and even Jainism, to highlight how religious beliefs and practices, regardless of how otherworldly they may seem, often translate into practical benefits for the entire religious group. This “secular utility” of religion, as sociologist Émile Durkheim called it, suggests that religions, by promoting cooperation and morality, can be seen as adaptations that increase a group’s survival and reproduction.
Part of the Dwight H. Terry Lectureship series Evolution for Everyone, presented at Yale University.
