Is religion what we want? Motivation and the cultural transmission of religious representations

Shaun Nichols

doi:10.1163/1568537041725079

Is religion what we want? Motivation and the cultural transmission of religious representations

Shaun Nichols

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

Many psychologists and philosophers have suggested that religious ideas emerge because they are motivationally attractive. This paper attempts to support a version of the motivational thesis by relying on religious creeds as a source of historical evidence. This simple source of evidence indicates that the cultural evolution of religious ideas is partly a function of the motivational attractiveness of the religious ideas.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	347-371
Number of pages	25
Journal	Journal of Cognition and Culture
Volume	4
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1163/1568537041725079
State	Published - Dec 1 2004
Externally published	Yes

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ASJC Scopus subject areas

Social Psychology
Cultural Studies
Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)

Cite this

Nichols, S. (2004). Is religion what we want? Motivation and the cultural transmission of religious representations. Journal of Cognition and Culture, 4(2), 347-371. https://doi.org/10.1163/1568537041725079

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Access to Document

10.1163/1568537041725079