Social construction of conscience & religion

[TheTruthSeeker]

There are some people who believe that religion is something that is socially constructed (meaning that you believe in God because your parents did or somebody else taught you), and then there are others who believe that a belief in God is hardwired into our brains.

The same applies to our sense of "conscience", or our sense of what is right and wrong. Some say that our conscience is socially constructed, and others say that it is an innate quality.

Ultimately do you believe that your innermost sense of truth comes from other people via society, or do you believe that we do possess some kind of inner truth? If we do possess an inner-truth, can we ever know it? (This is an epistemological question).

I am just curious to see some people's arguments on these issues.

 

[Clockwood]

Oh, people pretty obviously believe in something no matter what. Children concoct something like the bogeyman even if they aren't told. They develop weird little rituals and superstitions to make them feel safe and give them a feeling of control over their petty little lives. They give inanimate objects like rocks and trees along with animals personalities and thoughts and wishes. These are the roots from which all gods developed.

What happens is that, if these beliefs are not actively expelled or replaced by parents or society, they get passed on. Each generation, they are further embellished upon. Spirits of trees and animals and clouds eventually become gods to be worshipped. Eventually somebody says 'my god is the best' and later 'my god is the only god'. And then we have monotheism.

Thats all there is to it.

 

[OliverJ]

Is a man raised by wolves afraid of the dark ?

Everything is socially constructed from the moment of your birth.

 

[BSFilter]

I would say it is a little of both. Those raised without religion would probably still ponder if there is something greater out there. Something worth living for, something worth dying for. I would say it is human nature to use supernatural forces to explain the unexplainable.

Those raised with religion are given answers to these questions from the start, and make very little decisions on their own about these issues, because they are taught "the right way" from the start.