#989 Robert Vinten: Wittgenstein and the Cognitive Science of Religion

Sep 5, 2024

Dr. Robert Vinten, a postdoctoral research fellow with a focus on Wittgenstein and the cognitive science of religion, dives deep into how philosophical and cognitive perspectives intertwine in understanding belief. He discusses whether religion can be seen as a natural phenomenon and critiques reductionist approaches that oversimplify complex mental processes. Vinten also addresses epistemic injustice, considering how marginalized voices have a unique insight into their experiences. His insights challenge listeners to rethink the relationship between philosophy and cognitive science.

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INSIGHT

Wittgenstein Frames The Book's Critique

The book applies Wittgensteinian critiques to cognitive science of religion and gathers interdisciplinary perspectives.
It emphasizes philosophical frameworks over empirical data to examine how religion is studied.

INSIGHT

CSR Is Young And Interdisciplinary

Cognitive science of religion is a young interdisciplinary field tracing back to Rethinking Religion (1990).
It seeks evolutionary explanations for shared cognitive features that shape religious beliefs and practices.

INSIGHT

Mind ≠ Brain: A Wittgensteinian Warning

Wittgenstein criticized mixing neuroscientific and psychological language, especially equating mind with brain.
He insisted psychological predicates properly apply only to whole organisms, not parts like brains.

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Dr. Robert Vinten is a postdoctoral research fellow within a project on epistemic injustice and previously a postdoctoral research fellow within a project on the epistemology of religious belief at the NOVA University of Lisbon. He is the author of Wittgenstein and the Social Sciences (2020) and of numerous journal articles about Wittgenstein’s philosophy. He is also the editor of Wittgenstein and the Cognitive Science of Religion: Interpreting Human Nature and the Mind.

In this episode, we focus on Wittgenstein and the Cognitive Science of Religion. We first discuss Wittgenstein’s ideas about religion, the cognitive science of religion, and critiques of it by Wittgensiteinians. We discuss whether religion is a natural phenomenon, and issues regarding reductionism, scientism, and the cognitive science of religion as a reaction to cultural relativism. We talk about Dr. Vinten’s criticisms of Pascal Boyer’s approach to religion, and theory of mind. Finally, we talk about a new project on epistemic injustice that Dr. Vinten is involved in.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: PER HELGE LARSEN, JERRY MULLER, BERNARDO SEIXAS, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, FILIP FORS CONNOLLY, DAN DEMETRIOU, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, PHIL KAVANAGH, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, FERGAL CUSSEN, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, ROMAIN ROCH, DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA, YANICK PUNTER, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, NELLEKE BAK, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, PAULO TOLENTINO, JOÃO BARBOSA, JULIAN PRICE, EDWARD HALL, HEDIN BRØNNER, DOUGLAS FRY, FRANCA BORTOLOTTI, GABRIEL PONS CORTÈS, URSULA LITZCKE, SCOTT, ZACHARY FISH, TIM DUFFY, SUNNY SMITH, JON WISMAN, WILLIAM BUCKNER, PAUL-GEORGE ARNAUD, LUKE GLOWACKI, GEORGIOS THEOPHANOUS, CHRIS WILLIAMSON, PETER WOLOSZYN, DAVID WILLIAMS, DIOGO COSTA, ANTON ERIKSSON, ALEX CHAU, AMAURI MARTÍNEZ, CORALIE CHEVALLIER, BANGALORE ATHEISTS, LARRY D. LEE JR., OLD HERRINGBONE, MICHAEL BAILEY, DAN SPERBER, ROBERT GRESSIS, IGOR N, JEFF MCMAHAN, JAKE ZUEHL, BARNABAS RADICS, MARK CAMPBELL, TOMAS DAUBNER, LUKE NISSEN, KIMBERLY JOHNSON, JESSICA NOWICKI, LINDA BRANDIN, NIKLAS CARLSSON, GEORGE CHORIATIS, VALENTIN STEINMANN, PER KRAULIS, KATE VON GOELER, ALEXANDER HUBBARD, BR, MASOUD ALIMOHAMMADI, JONAS HERTNER, URSULA GOODENOUGH, DAVID PINSOF, SEAN NELSON, MIKE LAVIGNE, JOS KNECHT, ERIK ENGMAN, LUCY, MANVIR SINGH, PETRA WEIMANN, CAROLA FEEST, STARRY, MAURO JÚNIOR, 航豊川, TONY BARRETT, BENJAMIN GELBART, AND NIKOLAI VISHNEVSKY!

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