The Mindreading Debate and the Cognitive Science of Religion
Sophia 54 (1):61-75 (2015)
Abstract
The relationship between understanding other natural minds, often labeled ‘mindreading,’ and putative understanding of the supernatural is a critical one for the dialogue centering on the cognitive science of religion . A basic tenet of much of CSR is that cognitive mechanisms that typically operate in the ‘natural’ domain are co-opted so as to generate representations of the extra-natural. The most important mechanisms invoked are, arguably, the ones that detect agency, represent actions, predicate beliefs and desires of others, and track social hierarchies, coalitions, and exchanges. In this essay, I show that where one lands on the interdisciplinary debate over the nature of mindreading has a significant impact on parts of CSR that invoke social cognition. I focus my essay on the case of CSR explanations of religious experiences in terms of a hyperactive agency detective deviceAuthor's Profile
DOI
10.1007/s11841-014-0450-0
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Citations of this work
Sorting through, and sorting out, anthropomorphism in CSR.K. Mitch Hodge - 2018 - Filosofia Unisinos 19 (3).
References found in this work
Folk Psychological Narratives: The Sociocultural Basis of Understanding Reasons.Daniel D. Hutto - 2008 - Bradford.
Religion Explained: The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Thought.Pascal Boyer - 2002 - Basic Books.
Simulating Minds: The Philosophy, Psychology, and Neuroscience of Mindreading.Alvin I. Goldman - 2006 - Oxford University Press USA.