Anthropomorphism (“human-shaping”) is the tendency of humans to imbue non-human objects with human-like personality properties. A haughty trope in Western thought says that man’s spirituality evolved from animism (multiple gods) to monotheism (a single abstract god) to rationalism, positivism, or perspectivism (depending on who you ask).

In neuromythography, we embrace anthropomorphism explicitly because it helps engage more parts of the brain. This useful fiction is no different than Emile Durkheim asking us to indulge in the notion that ‘social facts’ are real, or Ronald Fisher asserting that “we shall not often be astray if we draw a conventional line at [p <] .05”

Anthropomorphism is often criticized as the anthropomorphic fallacy.