The Mindreading Debate and the Cognitive Science of Religion
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 (CSR). A basic tenet of much of CSR is that cognitive mechanisms that typically op...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Springer Netherlands
[2015]
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| In: |
Sophia
Year: 2015, Volume: 54, Issue: 1, Pages: 61-75 |
| IxTheo Classification: | AA Study of religion AE Psychology of religion |
| Further subjects: | B
Mindreading
B HADD B cognitive science of religion B Kognitive Religionswissenschaft |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | 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 (CSR). 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 device (HADD). |
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| ISSN: | 1873-930X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Sophia
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1007/s11841-014-0450-0 |