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Related Experiment Video

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Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
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Monotheism versus an innate bias towards mentalizing.

Fintan John Costello1

  • 1School of Computer Science,University College Dublin,Belfield,Dublin 4Ireland.fintan.costello@ucd.ie.

The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|March 8, 2016
PubMed
Summary

This study challenges the cognitive bias theory for "Big God" religions. It suggests innate biases favor polytheism, not monotheism, questioning the origin of single-deity belief systems.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Religious Studies
  • Evolutionary Psychology

Background:

  • The spread of monotheistic religions is often explained by innate cognitive biases.
  • Norenzayan et al. proposed that 'Big God' religions emerged as by-products of these biases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the proposed cognitive bias account for the origin and spread of monotheism.
  • To investigate whether innate cognitive biases adequately explain the emergence of monotheistic systems.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of existing theories on religious cognition.
  • Comparative examination of cognitive bias models and historical/anthropological data on religious systems.

Main Results:

  • Innate cognitive biases, as proposed, tend to generate polytheistic rather than monotheistic religious systems.

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  • The cognitive bias account does not sufficiently explain the origin of monotheism.

    • Conclusions:

    • The proposed cognitive bias origin for monotheism is not supported by the evidence.
    • Alternative explanations, such as political factors driving the shift from polytheism to monotheism, offer a better account for the spread of monotheistic religions.