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 | |
| State | Published - 2004 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Cultural Studies
Cite this
Is religion what we want? Motivation and the cultural transmission of religious representations. / Nichols, Shaun B.
In: Journal of Cognition and Culture, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2004, p. 347-371.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Is religion what we want? Motivation and the cultural transmission of religious representations
AU - Nichols, Shaun B
PY - 2004
Y1 - 2004
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=61049107601&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1163/1568537041725079
DO - 10.1163/1568537041725079
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:61049107601
VL - 4
SP - 347
EP - 371
JO - Journal of Cognition and Culture
JF - Journal of Cognition and Culture
SN - 1567-7095
IS - 2
ER -