title: The prosocial benefits of seeing purpose in life events: A case of cultural selection in action?
abstract: Norenzayan et al. propose that religious beliefs with incidental prosocial effects propagated via a long-term process of cultural evolution. Applying their model, I explore a possible candidate target of cultural selection: the teleological view - often culturally elaborated as a belief in karma or fate - that life events occur to punish or reward individuals' moral behavior.
authors.affiliation: Yale University,New Haven,CT 06511.konika.banerjee@yale.eduhttp://psychology.yale.edu/people/konika-banerjee.
authors.forename: Konika
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Banerjee
mesh_terms: D003468:Cultural Evolution; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009014:Morals; D012067:Religion