Towards A Science Of Belief Systems

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Science, Belief and Society

Author : Jones, Stephen
Publisher : Bristol University Press
ISBN 13 : 1529206944
Total Pages : 344 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (292 download)

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Book Synopsis Science, Belief and Society by : Jones, Stephen

Download or read book Science, Belief and Society written by Jones, Stephen and published by Bristol University Press. This book was released on 2019-05-22 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The relationship between science and belief has been a prominent subject of public debate for many years, one that has relevance to everything from science communication, health and education to immigration and national values. Yet, sociological analysis of these subjects remains surprisingly scarce. This wide-ranging book critically reviews the ways in which religious and non-religious belief systems interact with scientific theories and practices. Contributors explore how, for some secularists, ‘science’ forms an important part of social identity. Others examine how many contemporary religious movements justify their beliefs by making a claim upon science. Moving beyond the traditional focus on the United States, the book shows how debates about science and belief are firmly embedded in political conflict, class, community and culture.

Towards a Science of Belief Systems

Author : E. Griffiths
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 113734637X
Total Pages : 307 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (373 download)

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Book Synopsis Towards a Science of Belief Systems by : E. Griffiths

Download or read book Towards a Science of Belief Systems written by E. Griffiths and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-09-29 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People believe in a great many things; and yet most of us know almost nothing about why other people believe what they do, or indeed about how it feels to believe it. This book presents an objective method for understanding and comparing belief systems - irrespective of whether the investigator happens to agree with them.

The Neural Basis of Human Belief Systems

Author : Frank Krueger
Publisher : Psychology Press
ISBN 13 : 1136234977
Total Pages : 273 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (362 download)

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Book Synopsis The Neural Basis of Human Belief Systems by : Frank Krueger

Download or read book The Neural Basis of Human Belief Systems written by Frank Krueger and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2012-08-21 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is the everyday understanding of belief susceptible to scientific investigation? Belief is one of the most commonly used, yet unexplained terms in neuroscience. Beliefs can be seen as forms of mental representations and one of the building blocks of our conscious thoughts. This book provides an interdisciplinary overview of what we currently know about the neural basis of human belief systems, and how different belief systems are implemented in the human brain. The chapters in this volume explain how the neural correlates of beliefs mediate a range of explicit and implicit behaviours ranging from moral decision making, to the practice of religion. Drawing inferences from philosophy, psychology, psychiatry, religion, and cognitive neuroscience, the book has important implications for understanding how different belief systems are implemented in the human brain, and outlines the directions which research on the cognitive neuroscience of beliefs should take in the future. The Neural Basis of Human Belief Systems will be of great interest to researchers in the fields of psychology, philosophy, psychiatry, and cognitive neuroscience.

Why We Believe

Author : Agustin Fuentes
Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 030024925X
Total Pages : 281 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis Why We Believe by : Agustin Fuentes

Download or read book Why We Believe written by Agustin Fuentes and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2019-09-24 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A wide-ranging argument by a renowned anthropologist that the capacity to believe is what makes us human Why are so many humans religious? Why do we daydream, imagine, and hope? Philosophers, theologians, social scientists, and historians have offered explanations for centuries, but their accounts often ignore or even avoid human evolution. Evolutionary scientists answer with proposals for why ritual, religion, and faith make sense as adaptations to past challenges or as by-products of our hyper-complex cognitive capacities. But what if the focus on religion is too narrow? Renowned anthropologist Agustín Fuentes argues that the capacity to be religious is actually a small part of a larger and deeper human capacity to believe. Why believe in religion, economies, love? A fascinating intervention into some of the most common misconceptions about human nature, this book employs evolutionary, neurobiological, and anthropological evidence to argue that belief—the ability to commit passionately and wholeheartedly to an idea—is central to the human way of being in the world.

Parents' Cultural Belief Systems

Author : Sara Harkness
Publisher : Guilford Press
ISBN 13 : 9781572300316
Total Pages : 578 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (3 download)

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Book Synopsis Parents' Cultural Belief Systems by : Sara Harkness

Download or read book Parents' Cultural Belief Systems written by Sara Harkness and published by Guilford Press. This book was released on 1996-01-01 with total page 578 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This illuminating new volume offers a multifaceted view of parenting cultural belief systems - their origins in culturally constructed parental experience, their expressions in parental practices, and their consequences for children's well-being and growth. Discussing issues with implications beyond the study of parenthood, the book shows how the analysis of child outcomes which relate to parents' cultural belief systems (or parental "ethnotheories") can provide valuable insights into the nature and meaning of family and self in society and, in some cases, a basis for culturally sensitive therapeutic interventions. Illuminating the powerful influence of parents' cultural belief systems on the health and development of children, this volume will be welcomed by a broad audience. Anthropologists and psychologists interested in cultural theory and the interface of self and society will find a rich source of ideas and information. Parent educators, family therapists, pediatricians, and others who deal with ethnically diverse populations will discover invaluable information on what makes parents think and act the way they do. The book can be used as a primary text for courses in cognitive anthropology and cultural psychology, and as an auxiliary text for culturally oriented courses in lifespan development, education, health, and human services.

Cognitive Science, Religion, and Theology

Author : Justin L. Barrett
Publisher : Templeton Press
ISBN 13 : 9781599473819
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (738 download)

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Book Synopsis Cognitive Science, Religion, and Theology by : Justin L. Barrett

Download or read book Cognitive Science, Religion, and Theology written by Justin L. Barrett and published by Templeton Press. This book was released on 2011-11-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cognitive Science, Religion, and Theology is the eighth title published in the Templeton Science and Religion Series, in which scientists from a wide range of fields distill their experience and knowledge into brief tours of their respective specialties. In this volume, well-known cognitive scientist Justin L. Barrett offers an accessible overview of this interdisciplinary field, reviews key findings in this area, and discusses the implications of these findings for religious thought and practice. Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary study of minds and mental activity, and as such, it addresses a fundamental feature of what it is to be human. Further, as religious traditions concern ideas and beliefs about the nature of humans, the nature of the world, and the nature of the divine, cognitive science can contribute directly and indirectly to these theological concerns. Barrett shows how direct contributions come from the growing area called cognitive science of religion (CSR), which investigates how human cognitive systems inform and constrain religious thought, experience, and expression. CSR attempts to answer questions such as: Why do humans tend to be religious? And why are specific ideas (e.g., the possibility of an afterlife) so cross-culturally recurrent? Barrett also covers the indirect implications that cognitive science has for theology, such as human similarities and differences with the animal world, freedom and determinism, and the relationship between minds and bodies. Cognitive Science, Religion, and Theology critically reviews the research on these fascinating questions and discusses the many implications that arise from them. In addition, this short volume also offers suggestions for future research, making it ideal not only for those looking for an overview of the field thus far but also for those seeking a glimpse of where the field might be going in the future.

Why We Need Religion

Author : Stephen T. Asma
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190469692
Total Pages : 273 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (94 download)

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Book Synopsis Why We Need Religion by : Stephen T. Asma

Download or read book Why We Need Religion written by Stephen T. Asma and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-05-09 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How we feel is as vital to our survival as how we think. This claim, based on the premise that emotions are largely adaptive, serves as the organizing theme of Why We Need Religion. This book is a novel pathway in a well-trodden field of religious studies and philosophy of religion. Stephen Asma argues that, like art, religion has direct access to our emotional lives in ways that science does not. Yes, science can give us emotional feelings of wonder and the sublime--we can feel the sacred depths of nature--but there are many forms of human suffering and vulnerability that are beyond the reach of help from science. Different emotional stresses require different kinds of rescue. Unlike secular authors who praise religion's ethical and civilizing function, Asma argues that its core value lies in its emotionally therapeutic power. No theorist of religion has failed to notice the importance of emotions in spiritual and ritual life, but truly systematic research has only recently delivered concrete data on the neurology, psychology, and anthropology of the emotional systems. This very recent "affective turn" has begun to map out a powerful territory of embodied cognition. Why We Need Religion incorporates new data from these affective sciences into the philosophy of religion. It goes on to describe the way in which religion manages those systems--rage, play, lust, care, grief, and so on. Finally, it argues that religion is still the best cultural apparatus for doing this adaptive work. In short, the book is a Darwinian defense of religious emotions and the cultural systems that manage them.

Where the Conflict Really Lies

Author : Alvin Plantinga
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199812101
Total Pages : 376 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (998 download)

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Book Synopsis Where the Conflict Really Lies by : Alvin Plantinga

Download or read book Where the Conflict Really Lies written by Alvin Plantinga and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2011-08-01 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this long-awaited book, pre-eminent analytical philosopher Alvin Plantinga argues that the conflict between science and theistic religion is actually superficial, and that at a deeper level they are in concord.

Science Vs. Religion

Author : Elaine Howard Ecklund
Publisher : OUP USA
ISBN 13 : 0195392981
Total Pages : 241 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (953 download)

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Book Synopsis Science Vs. Religion by : Elaine Howard Ecklund

Download or read book Science Vs. Religion written by Elaine Howard Ecklund and published by OUP USA. This book was released on 2010-05-06 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: That the longstanding antagonism between science and religion is irreconcilable has been taken for granted. And in the wake of recent controversies over teaching intelligent design and the ethics of stem-cell research, the divide seems as unbridgeable as ever.In Science vs. Religion, Elaine Howard Ecklund investigates this unexamined assumption in the first systematic study of what scientists actually think and feel about religion. In the course of her research, Ecklund surveyed nearly 1,700 scientists and interviewed 275 of them. She finds that most of what we believe about the faith lives of elite scientists is wrong. Nearly 50 percent of them are religious. Many others are what she calls "spiritual entrepreneurs," seeking creative ways to work with the tensions between science and faith outside the constraints of traditional religion. The book centers around vivid portraits of 10 representative men and women working in the natural and social sciences at top American research universities. Ecklund's respondents run the gamut from Margaret, a chemist who teaches a Sunday-school class, to Arik, a physicist who chose not to believe in God well before he decided to become a scientist. Only a small minority are actively hostile to religion. Ecklund reveals how scientists-believers and skeptics alike-are struggling to engage the increasing number of religious students in their classrooms and argues that many scientists are searching for "boundary pioneers" to cross the picket lines separating science and religion.With broad implications for education, science funding, and the thorny ethical questions surrounding stem-cell research, cloning, and other cutting-edge scientific endeavors, Science vs. Religion brings a welcome dose of reality to the science and religion debates.

Science and Spirituality

Author : Michael Ruse
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1139486543
Total Pages : 273 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (394 download)

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Book Synopsis Science and Spirituality by : Michael Ruse

Download or read book Science and Spirituality written by Michael Ruse and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2010-03-08 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Michael Ruse offers a new analysis of the often troubled relationship between science and religion. Arguing against both extremes - in one corner, the New Atheists; in the other, the Creationists and their offspring the Intelligent Designers - he asserts that science is the highest source of human inquiry. Yet, by its very nature and its deep reliance on metaphor, science restricts itself and is unable to answer basic, significant questions about the meaning of the universe and humankind's place within it: why is there something rather than nothing? What is the meaning of it all? Ruse shows that one can legitimately be a skeptic about these questions, and yet why it is open for a Christian, or member of any faith, to offer answers. Scientists, he concludes, should be proud of their achievements but modest about their scope. Christians should be confident of their mission but respectful of the successes of science.

The Science of Spirituality

Author : Lee Bladon
Publisher : Lulu.com
ISBN 13 : 1847998933
Total Pages : 310 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (479 download)

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Book Synopsis The Science of Spirituality by : Lee Bladon

Download or read book The Science of Spirituality written by Lee Bladon and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2007 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Science of Spirituality is a ground-breaking book that integrates the individual systems of science, psychology, philosophy, spirituality and religion into a unified system that describes the multi-dimensional nature of man and the universe. It provides a more comprehensive description of reality than conventional science can offer and fully explains the mechanisms behind an array of paranormal phenomena that mainstream science chooses to ignore. It explains the science behind religious, spiritual and new-age belief systems, and sheds light on some common misconceptions. The Science of Spirituality systematically describes the mechanisms behind a diverse range of subject matter including: consciousness, sleep and dreams, reincarnation, religion, creation, evolution, space and time, higher dimensions, heaven and hell, ghosts, angels and demons, out of body experiences, near death experiences, clairvoyance, psychic abilities, personal development, meditation and the meaning of life.

Processes of Believing: The Acquisition, Maintenance, and Change in Creditions

Author : Hans-Ferdinand Angel
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3319509241
Total Pages : 467 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (195 download)

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Book Synopsis Processes of Believing: The Acquisition, Maintenance, and Change in Creditions by : Hans-Ferdinand Angel

Download or read book Processes of Believing: The Acquisition, Maintenance, and Change in Creditions written by Hans-Ferdinand Angel and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-04-13 with total page 467 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume answers the question: Why do we believe what we believe? It examines current research on the concept of beliefs, and the development in our understanding of the process of believing. It takes into account empirical findings in the field of neuroscience regarding the processes that underlie beliefs, and discusses the notion that beyond the interactive exploratory analysis of sensory information from the complex outside world, humans engage in an evaluative analysis by which they attribute personal meaning and relevance to the probabilistic representations of objects and events. Beliefs exert a strong influence on behaviour, decision-making, and identifying and solving problems. Despite their importance, beliefs have until recently not been at the centre of scientific interest. In fact, “belief” is an ill-defined phenomenon. From a transdisciplinary perspective the actual approaches to understanding belief seem incompatible as they attempt to highlight such different topics as “belief – religion”, “belief – spirituality”, “belief – faith”, “belief – knowledge”, “belief – attitude”, “belief – disbelief”, “belief – illusion”, and “believing – brain function”. This situation contradicts the idea that belief is close to pathological phenomena and that it should be eliminated from scientific discussions. Rather, believing is fundamental for understanding the many problems of every-day life. In fact, the book shows that beliefs are relevant for politics, international affairs, economy, law, or religions also in modern societies. This book presents the increasing scientific interest in beliefs and believing, and reflects the change in focus from the content aspect of belief towards the fluid nature of believing.

Psychological Aspects of Social Axioms

Author : Kwok Leung
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 382 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Psychological Aspects of Social Axioms by : Kwok Leung

Download or read book Psychological Aspects of Social Axioms written by Kwok Leung and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Social axioms are defined as generalized beliefs about oneself, other people, the social environment, or the spiritual and physical world. This book offers a systematic presentation of the current research inspired by the social axioms framework.

The Believing Brain

Author : Michael Shermer
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 1429972610
Total Pages : 401 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (299 download)

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Book Synopsis The Believing Brain by : Michael Shermer

Download or read book The Believing Brain written by Michael Shermer and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2011-05-24 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A wonderfully lucid, accessible, and wide-ranging account of the boundary between justified and unjustified belief.” —Sam Harris, New York Times–bestselling author of The Moral Landscape and The End of Faith In this work synthesizing thirty years of research, psychologist, historian of science, and the world’s best-known skeptic Michael Shermer upends the traditional thinking about how humans form beliefs about the world. Simply put, beliefs come first and explanations for beliefs follow. The brain, Shermer argues, is a belief engine. From sensory data flowing in through the senses, the brain naturally begins to look for and find patterns, and then infuses those patterns with meaning. Our brains connect the dots of our world into meaningful patterns that explain why things happen, and these patterns become beliefs. Once beliefs are formed the brain begins to look for and find confirmatory evidence in support of those beliefs, which accelerates the process of reinforcing them, and round and round the process goes in a positive-feedback loop of belief confirmation. Shermer outlines the numerous cognitive tools our brains engage to reinforce our beliefs as truths. Interlaced with his theory of belief, Shermer provides countless real-world examples of how this process operates, from politics, economics, and religion to conspiracy theories, the supernatural, and the paranormal. Ultimately, he demonstrates why science is the best tool ever devised to determine whether or not a belief matches reality. “A must read for everyone who wonders why religious and political beliefs are so rigid and polarized—or why the other side is always wrong, but somehow doesn’t see it.” —Dr. Leonard Mlodinow, physicist and author of The Drunkard’s Walk and The Grand Design (with Stephen Hawking)

Truth and Tension in Science and Religion

Author : Varadaraja V. Raman
Publisher : Beech River Books
ISBN 13 : 0979377862
Total Pages : 406 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (793 download)

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Book Synopsis Truth and Tension in Science and Religion by : Varadaraja V. Raman

Download or read book Truth and Tension in Science and Religion written by Varadaraja V. Raman and published by Beech River Books. This book was released on 2009 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "An examination of the frameworks of science and religion that provides a multi-cultural view of how they affect our perception of the truth"--Provided by publisher.

Belief Systems, Religion, and Behavioral Economics

Author : Elizabeth A. Minton
Publisher : Business Expert Press
ISBN 13 : 1606497057
Total Pages : 136 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (64 download)

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Book Synopsis Belief Systems, Religion, and Behavioral Economics by : Elizabeth A. Minton

Download or read book Belief Systems, Religion, and Behavioral Economics written by Elizabeth A. Minton and published by Business Expert Press. This book was released on 2013-12-20 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Religion is a topic that businesses often ignore, in spite of 70% of the world being religious. Many do not realize (or resist) the idea that religion is a key contributor to a consumer’s core values, which then contributes to consumption decisions, voting practices, reaction to pro social messages and public policy, as well as donating behavior. The field of behavioral economics discusses how various social and cognitive factors influence economic decisions, which encompass consumer decision making, but doesn’t incorporate religion as an influence on economic decision making. This book provides one of the first comprehensive investigations into the relationship between religion and behavioral economics. The basic premises of the major religious affiliations are reviewed, and the authors bring to life prior research on religion and behavioral economics with an emphasis on how this research can help practitioners to improve business practices.

Born Believers

Author : Justin L. Barrett
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1439196575
Total Pages : 303 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (391 download)

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Book Synopsis Born Believers by : Justin L. Barrett

Download or read book Born Believers written by Justin L. Barrett and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-03-20 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Infants have a lot to make sense of in the world: Why does the sun shine and night fall; why do some objects move in response to words, while others won’t budge; who is it that looks over them and cares for them? How the developing brain grapples with these and other questions leads children, across cultures, to naturally develop a belief in a divine power of remarkably consistent traits––a god that is a powerful creator, knowing, immortal, and good—explains noted developmental psychologist and anthropologist Justin L. Barrett in this enlightening and provocative book. In short, we are all born believers. Belief begins in the brain. Under the sway of powerful internal and external influences, children understand their environments by imagining at least one creative and intelligent agent, a grand creator and controller that brings order and purpose to the world. Further, these beliefs in unseen super beings help organize children’s intuitions about morality and surprising life events, making life meaningful. Summarizing scientific experiments conducted with children across the globe, Professor Barrett illustrates the ways human beings have come to develop complex belief systems about God’s omniscience, the afterlife, and the immortality of deities. He shows how the science of childhood religiosity reveals, across humanity, a “natural religion,” the organization of those beliefs that humans gravitate to organically, and how it underlies all of the world’s major religions, uniting them under one common source. For believers and nonbelievers alike, Barrett offers a compelling argument for the human instinct for religion, as he guides all parents in how to effectively encourage children in developing a healthy constellation of beliefs about the world around them.