Is supernatural belief unreliably formed?
I criticize 5 arguments for the conclusion that religious belief is unreliably formed and hence epistemically tainted. The arguments draw on scientific evidence from Cognitive Science of Religion. They differ considerably as to why the evidence points to unreliability. Two arguments conclude to unre...
| 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 Nature B. V
[2019]
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| In: |
International journal for philosophy of religion
Year: 2019, Volume: 85, Issue: 2, Pages: 125-148 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
The Supernatural
/ Faith
/ Kognitive Religionswissenschaft
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| IxTheo Classification: | AA Study of religion AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism AE Psychology of religion |
| Further subjects: | B
Reliabilism
B Religious Epistemology B cognitive science of religion B Rationality of religious belief B debunking arguments |
| Online Access: |
Presumably Free Access Volltext (Resolving-System) |
| Summary: | I criticize 5 arguments for the conclusion that religious belief is unreliably formed and hence epistemically tainted. The arguments draw on scientific evidence from Cognitive Science of Religion. They differ considerably as to why the evidence points to unreliability. Two arguments conclude to unreliability because religious belief is shaped by evolutionary pressures; another argument states that the mechanism responsible for religious belief produces many false god-beliefs; a similar argument claims that the mechanism produces incompatible god-beliefs; and a final argument states that the mechanism is offtrack. I argue that the arguments fail to make the case for unreliability or that the unreliability can be overcome. |
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| ISSN: | 1572-8684 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: International journal for philosophy of religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1007/s11153-018-9671-4 |