% pubman genre = film
@misc{item_3258662,
title = {{Did Religion Play a Causal Role in the Evolution of Large, Complex Societies?}},
author = {Gray, Russell D.},
language = {eng},
doi = {10.21036/LTPUB10216},
year = {2016},
abstract = {{The notion of a powerful god is often said to play a significant role in supporting the transition from small relatively equal hunter and gatherer societies to big hierarchical societies. However, as RUSSELL GRAY explains in this video, while there is a correlation between {\textquotedblleft}big gods{\textquotedblright} and {\textquotedblleft}big societies{\textquotedblright}, this is no causal relationship. By comparing the evolution of different forms of social organization in cultures with a common ancestry in the Pacific and Southeast Asia the researchers found that these societies grew bigger first and only then borrowed the notion of a powerful god through the influence of Muslim traders. Another result on the influence of religion is that ritual human sacrifice played a major role in maintaining or even promoting social inequality.}},
}