The pragmatic value of virtue is a possible indication of divine design - Robert Wright in The Atlantic

"The Hebrew Bible, considered a holy text by all three Abrahamic faiths, sees the pragmatic value of virtue as itself part of divine design. ... [¶] Of course, the fact that ancient scripture sees the link between prudence and virtue as a reflection of divine purpose doesn’t make it so. But if, as a matter of fact, the prudent pursuit of self-interest has over time led humanity closer to a moral truth—namely, that people of all ethnicities and faiths deserve respect—that lends at least some heft to the argument that there is a larger purpose in human affairs."

- Robert Wright in One World, Under God, The Atlantic, April 2009, p. 38, at 53 (bold-faced emphasis added, italics in original).  This article is excerpted from Wright's forthcoming book The Evolution of God. 

Wright is one of my favorite authors. I was powerfully influenced by his earlier book Non-Zero, a sophisticated, entertaining, and readable work about evolution, game theory, and social science. In the book, he sticks to the facts, but concludes that the evolution of the human race is due in no small part to our capacity for love and reciprocal altruism. He conjectures that the increasing orderliness in our corner of the universe (sometimes referred to as "the optimistic arrow of time") may point to the existence of a God and perhaps even a divine plan.

Reading Wright's Non-Zero was a milestone event in my faith journey; I look forward to getting his The Evolution of God.

Comments

[Fr Craig]

QC - I just read the Atlantic article - I'm not offended by the idea that people gather in a religious context for family/community comforts, but I was put off by Wright's continual reference to St. Paul needing to expand his 'franchise.' I may be influenced by my previous life in the hotel and restaurant business, but if Paul was only out to beef up his 'business,' what was his motive? It surely wasn't profit! Perhaps the book makes this more clear...

[D. C. Toedt]

Fr. Craig, I didn't read Wright's business metaphor as imputing a profit motive to Paul, but as simply a modeling tool to try to gain more insight into the extant evidence.

I don't think it can reasonably be disputed that Paul was a gifted and driven 'community organizer.' His motive likewise seems indisputable: propagating and keeping alive the gospel that he claimed to have received by revelation directly from Jesus.

That's all Wright is saying, I think.

Thanks for the comment.