A Cognitive Theory of Religion (original) (raw)
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Cognition, evolution, and religion
APA handbook of psychology, religion, and spirituality (Vol 1): Context, theory, and research., 2013
In this chapter we introduce cognitive and evolutionary approaches to the study of religion as relatively new areas in the broader psychological study of religion and spirituality.
Cognitive Science and the Naturalness of Religion
Philosophy Compass, 2010
Cognitive approaches to religious phenomena have attracted considerable interdisciplinary attention since their emergence a couple of decades ago. Proponents offer explanatory accounts of the content and transmission of religious thought and behavior in terms of underlying cognition. A central claim is that the cross-cultural recurrence and historical persistence of religion is attributable to the cognitive naturalness of religious ideas, i.e., attributable to the readiness, the ease, and the speed with which human minds acquire and process popular religious representations. In this article, we primarily provide an introductory summary of foundational questions, assumptions, and hypotheses in this field, including some discussion of features distinguishing cognitive science approaches to religion from established psychological approaches. Relevant ethnographic and experimental evidence illustrate and substantiate core claims. Finally, we briefly consider the broader implications of these cognitive approaches for the appropriateness of 'religion' as an explanatorily useful category in the social sciences.
2024
The cognitive science of religion (CSR) research program aims to deliver theories and mechanisms using scientific-style causal explanations for 'complex cultural concepts' (CCCs) deemed 'religious' by social actors. Their explanandum is the phenomena of CCCs deemed 'religion,' and their explanans cognitive theories and mechanisms. In this research report, an exploration of these cognitive theories and mechanisms will take form. The main focus of this exploration is the construction of theories and mechanisms in CSR using evolutionary psychology and anthropology. Regarding the evolutionary byproduct hypothesis, this includes Anthropomorphism Theory (1.1), Folk Theory (1.2), Theory of Mind (1.3), Hyperactive Agency Detection Device (1.4), Minimally Counterintuitives (1.5), and Ritual Form Hypothesis (1.6); regarding the dual-inheritance hypothesis, this includes Divergent Modes of Religiosity (2.1), Adaptative Prosociality (2.2), and Hazard-Precaution System (2.3); regarding the adaptationist hypothesis, this includes Group Cohesion and Kin Selection (3.1), Costly Religious Signalling (3.2), Sexual Selection Theory (3.3), and Supernatural Punishment Theory (3.4). This exploration tries to provide an up-to-date overview of the most explored theories and mechanisms of CSR-from the scholars who created them to contemporary CSR research that develops them.
Cognitive Science of Religion and Naturalism
2015
s Keynote Speakers December 4, 09:45 – 10:45 “Etiological challenges to religious practices” Helen de Cruz (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) There is a common assumption that evolutionary explanations of religion undermine religious beliefs. Do etiological accounts similarly affect the rationality of religious practices, such as liturgical actions, food taboos, and dress codes? To answer this question, this paper examines Cuneo’s account of ritual knowledge in the light of evolutionary accounts of rituals. December 4, 15.30 – 16.30 “The Cognitive By-Product Theory and Explanatory Pluralism in Science” Robert N. McCauley (Center for Mind, Brain, and Culture Emory University) This presentation outlines responses to the first five (of the seven) questions, with which the organizers of this workshop concluded their “Call for Papers.” The talk has two parts. The first part focuses on the contents and the character of the explanations advanced by the most prominent theoretical framework in t...
Suicidal Utopian Delusions in the 21st Century Philosophy, Human Nature and the Collapse of Civilization Articles and Reviews 2006-2019 4th Edition , 2019
You can get a quick summary of this book on p 135 or 326. If you are not up to speed on evolutionary psychology, you should first read one of the numerous recent texts with this term in the title. One of the best is "The Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology" 2nd ed by Buss. Until about 15 years ago, ´explanations´ of behavior have not really been explanations of mental processes at all, but rather vague and largely useless descriptions of what people did and what they said, with no insight into why. We might say that people gather to commemorate an event, praise god, receive his (or her or their) blessings, etc., but none of this describes the relevant mental processes, so we might say they are explanations in much the same way that it explains why an apple drops to the ground if we say its because we released it, and it's heavy-there is no mechanism and no explanatory or predictive power. This book continues the elucidation of the genetic basis of human behavior which has been almost universally ignored and denied by academia, religion, politics and the public (see Pinker´s excellent book ``The Blank Slatè`). His statement (p3) that it is meaningless to ask if religion is genetic is mistaken as the percentage of variation of any behavior due to genes and environment can be studied, just as they are for all other behaviors (see e.g., Pinker). The title should be "Preliminary Attempts to Explain Some Aspects of Primitive Religion", since he does not treat higher consciousness at all (e.g., satori, enlightenment etc.) which are by far the most interesting phenomena and the only part of religion of personal interest to intelligent, educated people in the 21st century. Reading this entire book, you would never guess such things exist. Likewise, for the immense field of drugs and religion. It lacks a framework for rationality and does not mention the dual systems of thought view which is now so productive. For this I suggest my own recent papers. Nevertheless, the book has much of interest, and in spite of being dated is still worth reading. Those wishing a comprehensive up to date framework for human behavior from the modern two systems view may consult my book ‘The Logical Structure of Philosophy, Psychology, Mind and Language in Ludwig Wittgenstein and John Searle’ 2nd ed (2019). Those interested in more of my writings may see ‘Talking Monkeys--Philosophy, Psychology, Science, Religion and Politics on a Doomed Planet--Articles and Reviews 2006-2019 3rd ed (2019) ,The Logical Structure of Human Behavior (2019), and Suicidal Utopian Delusions in the 21st Century 4th ed (2019).
2021
In this MA thesis I outline a mapping of the so-called Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR), by focusing on the works of three scholars: Stewart Guthrie, Pascal Boyer, and Ara Norenzayan. Despite the differences and the divergences among them, these authors are linked by the aim of exploring the evolved cognitive kit that might explain the prevalence of certain religious ideas and practices the world over. The humankind started to think about the existence of some sort of supernatural agent a long time ago – during the Upper Palaeolithic, following the archaeological reconstruction by Steven Mithen. Moreover, it has done so continuatively in history and in every corner of the globe. This fairly puzzling fact has been deepened by many different thinkers, each of whom has so far delved into his/her own field of research. From the 1980s, ahead of Edward Wilson’s attitude of consilience, more and more theorists have begun to realize the need to braid those perspectives in order to clarify such a complex phenomenon as religion.