Superstitions, ideologies, and religions, too

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Superstitions, ideologies, and religions, too

• Konrad Talmont-Kaminski
• Marie Curie-Sklodowska University

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Main Project

• Superstitions as a natural, cognitive phenomenon
• Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and
  Cognition Research
• Couldnt avoid religion

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Plan

• Boyer vs. Wilson
• Supernatural by-products
• Ideologies as adaptations
• Religion as supernatural ideology
• Utility of untestability
• The perfect religion

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Contradictory, conflicting or complimentary

• Pascal Boyer et all

• David Sloan Wilson

• Cognitive by-product
• HADD
• Genetic evolution
• Tribal religions
• Causes of beliefs
• Problem
• Distinguishing religion from other supernatural
  beliefs

• Group adaptation
• Jain mystics
• Cultural evolution
• The great religions
• Functions of practices
• Problem
• Distinguishing religion from other ideologies

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Supernatural as by-product

• Cognitive science of the supernatural
• Religions
• Superstitions
• Etc.
• Genetic evolution of cognitive factors
  determining supernatural beliefs
• But, there is a problem...

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Superstitions unstable

• Content of supernatural beliefs underdetermined
  by cognitive factors
• Many possible beliefs are minimally
  counterintuitive!
• Superstitions unstable
• Most widespread superstitions no older than 150
  years
• Most superstitions probably individual
• Stable supernatural beliefs will dominate

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Ideologies as adaptations

• Group adaptation account of ideology
• Religions
• Political ideologies
• Etc.
• Cultural evolution of belief systems
• But, there is a problem...

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Ideologies unstable

• Difficult to maintain peoples adherence to an
  ideology over time
• Probably because of failure to deliver on
  promises
• Ideologies highly unstable
• Stable ideologies will dominate

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Combining the accounts
Untestability
Ideology
Supernatural
Group selection
Cognitive by-product
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Supernatural ideology

• Cultural phenomena exapt/recruit cognitive
  mechanisms
• Mutual support
• Supernatural beliefs plausible
• Help to motivate ideology
• Help to motivate practices
• Ideology functional
• Makes beliefs functional and thereby less likely
  to undergo cultural drift

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Practical untestability

• The boy who cried wolf problem (McKay
  Dennett 2009 forthcoming)
• Beliefs that run counter to evidence are unstable
• Protecting beliefs from counterevidence
  (Talmont-Kaminski 2009 forthcoming)
• Content
• Invisible ghosts
• Social context
• Items/beliefs too sacred to investigate
• Methodological context
• Lack of scientific means to investigate

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Utility of untestability

• Popularity of practically untestable claims
• Not dependent upon their truth
• Dependent upon a priori plausibility
• Cognitive by-products
• Traditional metaphysics!
• Dependent upon function
• Group adaptation
• Superempirical beliefs best suited to have
  functions independent of their truth

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Intelligently designed religion

• Supernatural beliefs plausible thanks to
  cognitive by-products
• Motivated practices support in-group cooperation
• Content of claims/promises hard to investigate
• Religion deemed sacred to protect against
  investigation
• Scientific development opposed to protect against
  investigation

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Thank you

• konrad_at_talmont.com
• http/deisidaimon.wordpress.com