Evolution, Cognition, and Belief

This course explores two main ideas regarding evolution and religion: (1) Cognitive byproduct theories: Our minds are predisposed toward certain kinds of religious ideas. These predispositions exist due to evolutionary forces experienced by our ancestors, but the results are not necessarily adaptive. (2) Adaptationist theories: Religious phenomenon may be adaptive either for individuals, groups, societal strata, or, through processes of cultural evolution, for the beliefs themselves. During weeks 6-8, we will explore cognitive byproduct theories of religious phenomena. During weeks 9-13, we will explore adaptationist theories of religious phenomena.