E. Thomas Lawson - Art and Cognitive Science

This podcast explores the development of cognitive science of religion, highlighting its focus on explaining religious phenomena rather than merely interpreting them. The discussion covers the evolution of the field, including its initial focus on ritual structures and later expansion to encompass psychological and experimental dimensions, ultimately demonstrating its relevance to fields like aesthetic cognitivism by examining the human responses to stimuli, including artistic and religious experiences.

Cognitive Science of Religion

• 00:00:06 The field of cognitive science of religion emerged from a dissatisfaction with existing approaches to the study of religion, specifically the lack of explanatory power in psychology and sociology. The initial focus was on understanding religious rituals through a lens inspired by Chomsky's linguistic theory, examining the structural components of rituals and their potential psychological significance.

Ritual Structures

• 00:02:02 The study of religious ritual revealed the presence of structural patterns, such as even and odd-numbered rituals, where the gods are either active agents or passive recipients of action. This discovery led to the development of a complex system for analyzing these structures, illustrating that rituals have inherent psychological implications and can be empirically examined.

Interpretation vs. Explanation

• 00:04:24 The book 'Rethinking Religion' emphasized the distinction between interpreting and explaining religious phenomena. While humanities excel in interpretation, the book advocates for a more explanatory approach, examining the underlying mechanisms and structures contributing to religious behavior and experiences.

Experimental Dimension

• 00:06:57 The book proposed the use of experiments to understand religious experiences. By studying people's judgments about the importance of different rituals, it was theorized that the experimental dimension of religion could be further explored, furthering the understanding of how religious traditions and experiences are processed.

Aesthetic Cognitivism

• 00:08:30 The cognitive science of religion contributes to understanding aesthetic cognitivism by examining human responses to stimuli. It demonstrates how religious dimensions influence the experience of art by exploring the emotions and feelings elicited by art, which can also be understood in a religious context. It underlines the cognitive basis of religious and artistic experiences.