(May 3, 2013 at 4:07 pm)whateverist Wrote: ...our geologically recent development of reason would have sprung out a need to anticipate the intentions of not just game and predators but most especially the intentions of neighboring tribes of people. So regarding the universe or gods as a creature with intentions and purpose fits a natural pattern in our development...I do not think this directly addresses my OP, but it does provide another example of grounding reason in something other than a divine order, in this case adaptation for survival. One problem with this stance is this. A belief systems that promotes survival does not need to accurately reflect reality, it only needs to work. Thus a culture that engages in ritual hand-washing will be less prone to disease even if their behavior follows the belief that disease causing demons are scared of water. As such, the link between reality and our thoughts about reality is severed.
On a side note, this argument does not apply to deism or impersonal transcendent influences. It only strikes at the hard-core atheist that claims not to be a nihilist.
