There's a point of development at 15 months of age before which a child will not recognize herself in a mirror. The brain has to mature, and the mind has to come to a point of organization so that the kid will recognize the image as "oh, that's me!" and not "who's that other baby behind the glass?" Our capacity to recognize ourselves, literally our ability to reflect upon our being and actions, is a major part of what makes us human individually.
Interesting then, that we are beginning to hold a mirror up to ourselves collectively, and to gather information about our knottiest problems in as objective a way as we can. In the mirror today: Religion. The Economist reports on the work of Dr. Nicholas Baumard, who is investigating our conceptual ideas of "just deserts" and "fate." It appears that we act differently - and more ethically - when we think we are being watched. Religions, of course, provide us with the deity as the Ultimate Watcher - you cannot hide anything from God.
But now we are watching God back - or at least we are watching ourselves feel watched by God. Who watches the watchers? It might turn out to be us, after all.
Read more here: The good god guide via Economist.com
No comments:
Post a Comment