The formal beliefs and binding cultural effects of religion therefore appear to have robust roots in intuitive theoretical biases present from early childhood.

Notions of purpose are central underpinnings of the world’s religions, and the present research reveals not only that they are a natural default for the human mind but also that they are intimately connected to intuitions about agency. The formal beliefs and binding cultural effects of religion therefore appear to have robust roots in intuitive theoretical biases present from early childhood. The enduring effects of the human teleological bias on science and culture may be more profound than we realize.

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