#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

Against Hidden Minds And Intellectualism

Wittgensteinians reject 'intellectualism' that treats cognition as hidden and inferable solely by science.
They oppose a Cartesian picture where inner mental states are logically independent of behavior.

INSIGHT

Naturalism Depends On Definitions

Whether religion is 'natural' depends on definitions of naturalism and natural; Wittgenstein offers both naturalistic and anti-scientistic threads.
Wittgenstein notes humans are meaning-making, ceremonial animals, which can be read as a type of naturalism.

INSIGHT

Two Faces Of Reductionism

Reductionism can be ontological (nothing over and above lower levels) or explanatory (higher-level explained by lower-level).
Many CSR accounts risk reducing psychological explanations to brain processes and using 'mind' and 'brain' interchangeably.

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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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