A presentation at Georgia Southern -
The talk is titled "Why Religion is Natural and Science is Not"
Bob McCauley, Professor of Philosophy,
Center for Mind, Brain, and Culture at Emory University,
February 8 at 5 p.m. in IT 1004. - and based on his book by the same name.
I have read part of his book. The title is meant to be provocative and stir interest, but actually the premise is rather mundane. McCauley is talking about cognitive processes and specifcally maturationally natural cognition concerning humans having (similar) immediate, intuitive views that pop into mind in domains where they may have had little or no experience and no instruction. So he defines “unnatural” cognition as slower, conscious, controlled, effortful and reflective thought.
By his definition is religious thinking unconscious, uncontrolled, effortless and unreflective?
I also have a concern that his use of religion is again to be provocative and sell books. It seems that the god of the gaps knee jerk reactions he refers to is a supernatural answer. Religion is a social event of many people while we have thought that ghosts were the answer to natural events.
thoughts?
0
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5 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Here follows a quote from Bertrand Russell: "Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth -- more than ruin -- more even than death.... Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man."
ASTRALMAX
Level 8
Jan 28, 2018
2
THE EARLY AGE:
The thing about religion is that people are indoctrinated at such an early age when the process of blind belief becomes subliminal. Some of us work hard later to undo this damage, but most do not even realize it is important to do. So we create a world of automatons ripe to be used for any ends.
think-beyond
Level 7
Jan 28, 2018
1
Thank you, I have read so manybooks like that. An entire book which you just explained well in a few sentences. I think the idea is right on and aligns well with the psychological studies I have done. Frankly, religion does not require thought, It is reliant on passive thought, while science relies on active thinking which is much more difficult. The default is passive thinking.
DavidLaDeau
Level 8
Jan 28, 2018
1
Missing a step here... Is this The God Delusion reworded? or The God Gene? Does any part of this work claim an operational divinity is at work, or is it just that a bunch of Cro Magnons siting around a fire and telling stories find it easy to believe something spooky is going on, but that trying to figure out how to get the most out of the fire is not easy?
andygee
Level 7
Jan 28, 2018
0
So for, it is your second scenario. I was all pissed off at first, but after reading his book (some - long and boring) the natural vs. unnatural make the religion thing almost inconsequential. Still have more preparation for his presentation.
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