This blog post explores the relationship between scientific progress and religion, examining why religion remains necessary in human society.
One of the core keywords frequently appearing in the book Homo Deus I recently read is undoubtedly ‘religion’. Religion has not only persisted since the dawn of human society but is also deeply rooted throughout society, as evidenced by churches being established even in the deepest rural villages of South Korea. As a concept closely intertwined with human society, religion invariably surfaces in nearly all social discourse. So what exactly is religion?
The dictionary definition of religion is ‘a community of believers sharing prescribed beliefs, along with the belief system and cultural system they follow’. Anthropologist Clifford Geertz defined religion as “religion as a cultural system,” viewing it as a crucial element shaping how humans live. The etymology of the concept of religion differs between the East and the West, which can be interpreted as stemming from their respective cultural differences.
First, in the East, the word ‘종교’ (religion), meaning ‘종교’, was created as a translation in Japan and differs somewhat from its original meaning. It originates from the Chinese translation of the Sanskrit Buddhist term ‘Siddhanta Desana,’ which implies ‘fundamental teaching’ rather than ‘connection between god and humans.’ Here, ‘종 (宗)’ is a Chinese character meaning ‘house for worshiping gods.’ This character is composed of ‘宀’ (roof) and ‘示’ (show), where ‘示’ symbolizes the act of placing offerings on an altar to perform rites for the gods. This structure can be interpreted as signifying a space for honoring ancestral spirits, or for performing ritual ceremonies.
‘교(敎)’ carries the meaning of teaching and persuading, understood as the act of conveying specific doctrines to people. Therefore, from an Eastern perspective, religion is not merely an act of worship but can be seen as a system that honors spiritual beings, academically systematizes this, and disseminates it within a community.
In contrast, religion in the West derives from the Latin ‘religio’. Its etymological interpretation is divided into two schools of thought. One, originating from Cicero’s argument, suggests it derives from ‘relego’ (to ponder, to read repeatedly). In this case, religion signifies the process of carefully observing and contemplating acts or norms related to the divine. The other interpretation traces it to ‘religare’ (to bind, to connect), expressing the state of connecting humans with the divine and uniting with reverence. This interpretation is generally accepted in Western cultural spheres.
Although differences exist in the etymological understanding of religion between East and West, there is common ground: religion centers on ritual acts of worship and veneration toward an object of reverence, namely, ceremonies. This characteristic is common across diverse religious phenomena, from Christianity to the totemism of primitive tribal societies.
So why do people living in different regions and cultures share similar forms of religious behavior? The author finds the answer in human nature. Particular attention should be paid to ‘idol worship,’ a universal feature of religion.
The process by which people come to worship a specific entity is simpler than one might think. When an inexplicable phenomenon or event is logically interpreted or explained by a particular individual, people develop both reverence and fear toward that person. This results in the formation of absolute faith. I see this as the fundamental mechanism by which idol worship forms. In other words, ‘idol worship’ ultimately stems from humanity’s attempt to overcome its own cognitive and logical limitations by seeking external entities when it reaches those boundaries.
This interpretation can also be observed in the religious forms of prehistoric times: totemism, animism, and shamanism. At that time, humans had no way to explain uncontrollable phenomena like natural disasters or disease, and the future was also difficult to predict. Consequently, people sought to understand the world through guardian animals (totems), spiritual beings (animism), or shamans who acted as intermediaries to the gods. Such foundational beliefs evolved over time into more sophisticated and systematic religions.
However, as the scientific revolution began during the Middle Ages, religion gradually faced challenges. In the East, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism coexist, so this article will focus on Western culture. In medieval Europe, the Pope held immense power, even capable of deposing the Holy Roman Emperor. The reason the geocentric model was accepted longer than the heliocentric model was also due to the immense influence of papal authority.
However, as science and technology advanced, existing religious explanations gradually lost their persuasiveness. A prime example is the Black Death that struck Europe in the 14th century. People at the time viewed it as divine punishment or judgment, and the prevailing belief was that one must have even stronger faith to avoid the disease. Indeed, some people accepted contracting the disease as penance, viewing it as a means to atone for sins. Today, however, the actual causes of the Black Death are clearly understood to be unsanitary living conditions and infectious pathogens. This starkly illustrates how powerless medieval religion was in the face of epidemics.
Modern society is not immune to epidemics either. Examples include SARS in 2003 and the H1N1 pandemic in 2009. But today, we no longer rely solely on religion. Modern humanity analyzes infection routes and proposes concrete, evidence-based countermeasures to block spread. While these measures can sometimes amplify anxiety, compared to the Middle Ages, religion’s influence has clearly diminished. Though some individuals still attempt to overcome disease through religious faith, overall, religion’s social standing has changed dramatically from the past.
So, let’s take a step further and consider an extreme scenario. If science were to advance to the point where perfect cures existed for all diseases, and natural disasters could be perfectly predicted and controlled, ushering in a utopian society, could religion still exist then?
I affirm that possibility. Science and religion may appear to be polar opposites, but in reality, they have performed complementary roles in the development of human society. Science explains the world based on empirical evidence, while religion has fulfilled the function of satisfying human emotions and spiritual needs. Just as modern society differs from the Middle Ages, future society will also possess different standards and values than today, and within it, phenomena that cannot be explained will inevitably exist.
With the advent of modern society, humans have created a new form of religion, ‘Dataism’. This is evaluated as a new paradigm because it is not an ‘abstract belief’ like in the past, but an ‘objective belief’ based entirely on data. For example, an individual who receives information like ‘there is a high probability of rain today’ based on weather data prepares an umbrella. This prevents them from getting wet, effectively making the prediction seem inaccurate. However, this isn’t because the prediction was wrong, but because the data altered the individual’s behavior, changing the outcome. This example suggests that belief in data is also imperfect and can function like another ‘faith’ that influences human actions.
Ultimately, whether it’s science or religion, whatever it may be, it is an element that cannot be completely separated from human life. Even if future society becomes far more advanced than today, humans will still not be able to explain everything. Even as a new era arrives, religion will continue to exist in different forms, constantly influencing the human mind and society. Attitudes toward religion may change, but this is why it is difficult to see religion itself completely disappearing.
