This Week

Robert McCauley - Why Religion is Natural (And Science is Not)

December 5, 2011

Host: Chris Mooney

Over the last decade, there have been many calls in the secular community for increased criticism of religion, and increased activism to help loosen its grip on the public.

But what if the human brain itself is aligned against that endeavor?

That's the argument made by cognitive scientist Robert McCauley in his new book, Why Religion is Natural and Science is Not.

In it, he lays out a cognitive theory about why our minds, from a very early state of development, seem predisposed toward religious belief—and not predisposed towards the difficult explanations and understandings that science offers.

If McCauley is right, spreading secularism and critical thinking may always be a difficult battle—although one no less worthy of undertaking.

Dr. McCauley is University Professor and Director of the Center for Mind, Brain, and Culture at Emory University. He is also the author of Rethinking Religion and Bringing Ritual to Mind.

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Recommended Reading:


Rethinking Religion: Connecting Cognition and Culture E. Thomas Lawson, Robert N. McCauley

Comments from the CFI Forums

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I really like this podcast.

It brought to mind the seperation of the functions of the brain hemispheres.

http://www.web-us.com/brain/right_left_brain_characteristics.htm

I wonder if at birth, we begin thinking with our right hemisphere (intuitive) and develop the left brain functions (rational) at a later stage with the acquisition of knowledge. Perhaps this might also be an evolutionary process, where the right hemisphere brain function in animals developed before the left hemisphere function (combined with) in higher order animals.

Any suggestions?

Posted on Dec 05, 2011 at 6:14pm by Write4U Comment #1

I’d suggest your reading McGilcrist’s The Master and His Emissary. Great TED video available and discussions on Somasimple.com as well.

Posted on Dec 07, 2011 at 5:07am by Barrett Dorko Comment #2

Great interview.  One thing Chris missed in the introduction is that the two books he mentioned, ‘Re-Thinking Religion’ and ‘Bringing Ritual to Mind’, were actually co-written by Dr. McCauley and Dr. E Thomas Lawson, who was my mentor in the scientific study of religion.  Dr. Lawson helped found the Institute for Cognition and Culture at the Queen’s University of Belfast.  He would be an interesting guest on Point of Inquiry.

Posted on Dec 08, 2011 at 9:11pm by mimshow Comment #3