Paul Bloom on the Situational Effects of Religion

Paul Bloom, Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Yale University and contributing author of the 2012 Annual Review of Psychology, talks about his article “Religion, Morality, Evolution.” How did religion evolve? What effect does religion have on our moral beliefs and moral actions? These questions are related, as some scholars propose that religion has evolved to enhance altruistic behavior toward members of one’s group. But, Bloom argues, while religion has powerfully good moral effects and powerfully bad moral effects, these are due to aspects of religion that are shared by other human practices. There is surprisingly little evidence for a moral effect of specifically religious beliefs. Find the article here.   Related Situationist posts: The Interior Situation of Belief in God Morality and Religion Paul Bloom on Disgust Paul Bloom at Harvard Law School – Do Babies Crave Justice? The Situation of Innate Morality, Moral Psychology Primer Even monkeys know when they’re being treated unfairly Monkey Fairness Felix Warneken at Harvard Law School Pinker on the Situation of Morality The Science of Morality Paul Bloom on the Situation of Pleasure The Religious Situation of Compassion and Generosity Can Meditation Make Us More Compassionate? God’s Situational Effects Atheism-ism The Fundamental(ist) Attribution Error With God on Our Side . . . The Situation of Political and Religious Beliefs? Seeing Faces Self-Fulfilling Doo...
Source: The Situationist - Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Tags: Altruism Conflict Ideology Morality Source Type: blogs