6. The roots of religious belief
2018 ◽
pp. 79-92
One of the features of human societies is the ubiquity of religious commitment. But why do we find religious ideas compelling? ‘The roots of religious belief’ suggests we need to look beyond the arguments for God’s existence. The ‘standard model’ of religious belief is comprised of three elements: the activity of a hypersensitive agency detection device; the intuitive pull of teleological explanations; and the need to ensure that the members of a society comply with its norms. What implications might the standard model have for the rationality of religious belief? The destabilizing thesis, the by-product argument, the argument from explanatory absence, and the argument from unreliability are all discussed.
1995 ◽
Vol 53
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pp. 598-599
Keyword(s):
2020 ◽
Vol 112
(1)
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pp. 387-394
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