Throughout history, the vast majority of people around the globe have believed they have, however defined, a “soul.” While the question of whether the soul exists cannot be answered by science, what we can study are the causes and consequences of various beliefs about the soul and its prospects of surviving the death of the body. Why are soul and afterlife beliefs so common in human history? Are there adaptive advantages to assuming souls exist? Are there brain structures that have been shaped by environmental pressures that provide the foundation of body/mind dualism that is such a prominent feature of many religions? How do these beliefs shape the worldviews of different cultures and our collective lives? What is the role of competing afterlife beliefs in religion, science, politics, and war? This course explores several facets of this relatively unexplored but profoundly important aspect of human thought and behavior.
Soul Beliefs: Causes and Consequences - Unit 2: Belief Systems
Instructors: Prof. Daniel M. Ogilvie
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There are 12 modules in this course
What's included
1 video2 readings
What's included
3 videos1 reading
What's included
3 videos1 reading1 assignment
What's included
3 videos2 readings
What's included
3 videos2 readings1 assignment1 peer review
What's included
3 videos
What's included
3 videos1 reading1 assignment
What's included
1 video
What's included
3 videos1 reading
What's included
3 videos1 assignment1 peer review
What's included
3 videos1 reading
What's included
2 readings
Instructors
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Rutgers the State University of New Jersey
Rutgers the State University of New Jersey
The University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh
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Reviewed on Nov 8, 2015
The professorsoffer science and facts; the superstitious offer dogma.
Reviewed on Mar 13, 2021
Thought provoking with lots of concrete scientific evidence to support the topic. Enjoyed the class and assigned readings very much.
Reviewed on Mar 13, 2017
just as good as part 1. Neat old professor. A bit more abstract than 1.
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