Religious discourse as social coordination of goals
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Religious discourse as social coordination of goals K onrad Talmont-Kaminski Marie Curie-Sklodowska U., P oland
description
Religious discourse as social coordination of goals. Konrad Talmont-Kaminski Marie Curie-Sklodowska U., Poland. Line of argument. Coordination of actions and goals Superempirical beliefs Non-cognitive function of religion. Coordination of actions. Necessary for cooperation - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Religious discourse as social coordination of goals
Religious discourseas social coordinationof goals
Konrad Talmont-KaminskiMarie Curie-Sklodowska U., Poland
Line of argument
Coordination of actions and goalsSuperempirical beliefsNon-cognitive function of religion
Coordination of actions
Necessary for cooperation
Discourse must partly reflect reality
Assumes goals coordinated
Hunting example
Coordination of goals
Necessary for cooperation
Short term vs long term goals
Coordination of long term needed
Discourse need not reflect reality
Non-cognitive function
Hunting example again
Basic problem for explaining cooperation
Free rider problem
Long term coordination
Requires solution to free rider problem
Discourse need not reflect reality
Evidence might destabilise beliefs
Thereby undermining functionality
Need to protect discourse against counter evidence
Superempirical
Content
MethodologicalContext
SocialContext
Superempirical
>Unfalsifiable
“Invisible”“Dangerous”“Far away”
SacredAvailable methodsAvailable tools
Religious discourse
Well protected against potential counterevidence
Popularity of claims can not depend upon truth
It depends on functionality plus cognitive factors
Dual inheritance theory (Atran, Henrich, Norenzayan)
Moral Gods
Gods who act to support human morality
Superempirical consequences of failure to cooperate
Changed perception of costs/benefits
Greater cooperation results
Discourse & function
Religious discourse need not reflect reality
BUT…
Religious claims must be believed to motivate cooperation
Non-cognitive function presumes cognitive function
Conclusions
Coordination of goals does not require realistic discourseNon-cognitive function requires protection from counterevidenceNon-cognitive function presumes cognitive function
Thank you
Konrad Talmont-KaminskiIn a Mirror, Darkly: How the Supernatural Reflects Rationality (forthcoming)
