Difference between revisions of "Tem"

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==15/16 MAR==
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==22/23 MAR==
  
===Stoicism Basics===
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===Sosis, "The Adaptive Value of Religion"===
  
:*Stoic View of the God, Self and Nature
+
:*How do you explain aspects of religious behavior that appear to be madness?
::*Rationality of the Cosmos
+
::*Early anthropology.  negative, Malinowski's view, couldn't explain ritual
::*Corporealism
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:*Behavior ecology of religion: typical question: Why does particular behaviors persist in a human population?
::*Pantheism - God is force in nature, life. Not a unified consciousness.  
+
::*"Optimal foraging theory" suggests we optimize our energy exchanges with an environment (in food sourcing for example).  Likewise, maybe other behaviors....
::*Rationality in us (also God in us): the "hegemonikon"
+
::*Related hard to explain behavior in nature: Stotting behavior
  
:*A metaphysical insight from stoic determinism: Because the cosmos is rational and determined by a benign force, everything that happens is providential and our appropriate (wise) attitude toward it should be acceptance. (a perfection!) (Note that this idea profoundly influenced Christianity - consider, for example the Serenity PrayerSeeing it in the pantheist corporealist Stoic might make it easier to imagine as a possible belief for an atheistFATE =GOD)  -- discussion
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:*What are religious rituals?
 +
::*rituals are a form of communication of commitment to both in group and out group members. 168
 +
::*"costly signal theory" (Zahavi, explaining odd behaviors like stotting and rattling, warning signals)
 +
::*study of relationship between costly requirements and longevity of communes in 19thc US.
 +
::*higher commitment in a group is related to realizing group goals. Applied to religion. .
 +
::*It's possible that a religion will fail by not imposing costly requirementsnote on Vatican II p. 170.
 +
::*religious vs. secular kibbutzim
  
:*Stoic View of Virtue
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:*Shekel game research
::*Virtue required by our rational nature.
+
::*game and results
::*Virtue should be a sufficient goal for a rational creature.
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::*gender diffs: note that wisdom cultures do not necessarily make similar opportunities available to all genders. implications?
::*Happiness is welcome but may depend upon many things I can't control.
 
  
:*Stoic Psychology
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:*"Dark side" of promoting cooperation by promoting costly commitments
 +
::*[some of the commitments are problematic for some members of the community]
 +
::*may promote inter-group conflict
  
::*Rationality and the goal of tranquility
+
===Wilson, David Sloan. "Chapter 4: The Secular Utility of Religion: historical examples"===
::*Analysis of suffering as "mismatch" between reality and our desires
 
::*Reason to think that achievement of virtue will create conditions for happiness.
 
::*Connection to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational_emotive_behavior_therapy Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_behavioral_therapy#Philosophical_roots Cognitive Behavior Therapy]
 
  
===Epictetus, Enchiridion===
+
:*Some background on this Wilson: group selection advocate
 +
:*Theoretical claim: The demise of group selection theories keeps us from seeing the secular utility of religion in a way similar to Darwin's inability to see evidence for glaciers in absence of theory of glaciation.
  
*Key IdeaTo realize our rational nature (and the joy that only rational being can know), we need to adjust our thinking about our lives to what we know about reality.
+
:*Example 1: Water Temple System in Bali
 +
::*water religion and irrigation; the "subak" 127, egalitarian as hunter/gathers often are, but the water system involves hierarchy. problem of management of a common good.  tragedy of the commons... note that the agricultural system was separate from politics.  rare.
 +
::*religious figures "Jero Gde" function also as ag extention agents.
 +
::*system requirements, p. 127-8.  justice issues as well as practical problems.
 +
::*Neither Dutch colonists nor Green improved on Balinese water system.  Lansing simluation to show efficiency of model. 130
  
:*"Some things are in our control and others are not."
+
:*Example 2: Judaism
:*"Confine your aversion" and understand the limits of things(Sounds like an “aversion” retraining program based on knowledge claims.)
+
::*recalls his speculative theses that golden rule and 10 commandments are almost certainly adaptive for groups.
:*Infamous #3Read with #7, #8, and #14, in case we’re being too subtle.
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::*Key features of Judaism:  injunction to multiply and two sets of rules: one for intra group interaction, the other for out group policy.
:*Something like mindfulness, #4
+
::*conflicting advice: ethics of host; ethics of warrior.
:*Limits of prideCatching the mind exaggerating.
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::*assessment: in group / out group morality is hypocritical relative to our current ideals, but we need to look at it to see the mechanisms of selection at work among groups and cultures.   
:*Desire: #15
+
::*isolation mechanisms within Judaism: 136-7Including gene-culture effects from cultural selection.
:*Comportment in later points of the enchiridion. (Unabashedly hierarchal -- recall "mix of elements")
+
::*this example suggests that cultural isolation mechanisms of religion might be part of the mechanism for group effectiveness.  (such as endogamy, required conversion)
 +
::*note at 138: very concerned not to play into anti-Semitic criticism of JewsGroups really do compete in different ways.
 +
::*literary example, Isaac Singer: image of cultural disgust.
  
:*Moving toward assessment:
+
:*Example 3: Early Christianity
::*"men of stone" objection: overdominance of reason - not sure the cosmic plan requires me to devalue everything "slavish" or nonrational; "men of stone"; counsel of passivity; rejection of determinism; rejection of providential character or universe. 
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::*Stark's population theory of Christianity: at 40% per decade, on the high end of the range (like periods in contemporary Mormonism).   
::*Objections to the dichotomy of control
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::*Basic theory, p. 148: Early Christianity became attractive to Jews and Gentiles because it offered continuity with Judaism and reformed rules that made inter-ethnic religion possibleEmpirical evidence that growth of early Christianity was more influenced by Judaism than Roman culture. 149: growth of christianity correlates with jewish influence, negatively with Roman.
::*Unrealistic view of social life.
+
::*Christianity offered a competitive alternative to the social disorganization of life in many Roman cities, such as Antiochcultural practices like high female infanticide; high ratio of males, cultural values about status and lineage; all cited as dysfunctional at this time and opposed by early Christians.   
 
+
::*Functioned like "cells" to isolate social networks of people willing to submit to moral rules and observanceshigh level of care during outbreaks of illness; differential survivalquote at 154 and 155 (mentioin perputua and felicitas)
:*Group Discussion:  Consider the stoic diagnosis of suffering (note comparison to Buddhism) and the remedy proposed.  Consider typical objections and defensesHow does stoicism fare as a wisdom outlook and therapy?
 
 
 
===Stoic Dates===
 
 
 
:*368- 283 Crates of Thebes - friend of Antisthenes (445-365), who was a pupil of Socrates (469-399)
 
:*333-262 Zeno of Citium - credited as founder of Stoicism
 
:*331-232 Cleanthes
 
:*277-204 Chrysippus of Soli - 705 rolls written, 0 survive to date
 
:*fl. 200 Zeno of Tarsus
 
:*230-150 Diogenes of Babylon - famous visit to Rome to spread stoicism (156-155)
 
:*200-129 Antipater of Tarsus
 
:*Posidonius of Apemen - contemporary of Cicero (106-43)
 
:*3-65 Seneca
 
:*50-135 Epictetus
 
:*121-180 Marcus Aurelius
 
 
 
===Boyd and Richerson, "Culture and the Evolution of Human Cooperation"===
 
 
 
:*Gene culture co-evolution (also, "dual inheritance" or "bio-cultural") theoryThree necessary hypotheses:
 
 
 
::*1. Learning is a form of rapid cultural adaptation that accounts for key aspects of human culture. (extension of "Baldwin effect")
 
::*2. This process naturally produces "evolutionarily stable" but diverse strategies which divide humans into competitive groups.  Imitation plays a key role in eliminating comp. adv. over time, but groups are often competitors and threatened by freeloaders.  (This is where "large scale cooperation" comes into play. Note their puzzle about this.)
 
::*3. Culture exerts a selection pressure on individuals who have traits that directly or indirectly favor the group's strategy (note: whether it is a successful one or not. Easter IslandersMention next week's guest: Duddie's Branch. Positive Example: Pro-social emotions. might be a culturally created selection pressure for this via learning.)
 
 
 
:*For B&R, this gene culture co-evolution makes group selection plausible.  3282
 
::*cooperation: "costly behavior performed by one individual that increases the payoff of others(start with reciprocal altruism - explain - arrive at civic virtue)
 
::*multiple "stable equilibrium points" create variation among groupsSomething environment can select over.
 
   
 
:*Mechanisms of cultural transmission:
 
::*intergroup competition
 
::*imitation of success
 
::*migration
 
 
 
:*discussion at p. 3286: evolved emotions: shame and guilt. But also "awe" and transcendence?
 

Revision as of 23:43, 22 March 2016

22/23 MAR

Sosis, "The Adaptive Value of Religion"

  • How do you explain aspects of religious behavior that appear to be madness?
  • Early anthropology. negative, Malinowski's view, couldn't explain ritual
  • Behavior ecology of religion: typical question: Why does particular behaviors persist in a human population?
  • "Optimal foraging theory" suggests we optimize our energy exchanges with an environment (in food sourcing for example). Likewise, maybe other behaviors....
  • Related hard to explain behavior in nature: Stotting behavior
  • What are religious rituals?
  • rituals are a form of communication of commitment to both in group and out group members. 168
  • "costly signal theory" (Zahavi, explaining odd behaviors like stotting and rattling, warning signals)
  • study of relationship between costly requirements and longevity of communes in 19thc US.
  • higher commitment in a group is related to realizing group goals. Applied to religion. . .
  • It's possible that a religion will fail by not imposing costly requirements. note on Vatican II p. 170.
  • religious vs. secular kibbutzim
  • Shekel game research
  • game and results
  • gender diffs: note that wisdom cultures do not necessarily make similar opportunities available to all genders. implications?
  • "Dark side" of promoting cooperation by promoting costly commitments
  • [some of the commitments are problematic for some members of the community]
  • may promote inter-group conflict

Wilson, David Sloan. "Chapter 4: The Secular Utility of Religion: historical examples"

  • Some background on this Wilson: group selection advocate
  • Theoretical claim: The demise of group selection theories keeps us from seeing the secular utility of religion in a way similar to Darwin's inability to see evidence for glaciers in absence of theory of glaciation.
  • Example 1: Water Temple System in Bali
  • water religion and irrigation; the "subak" 127, egalitarian as hunter/gathers often are, but the water system involves hierarchy. problem of management of a common good. tragedy of the commons... note that the agricultural system was separate from politics. rare.
  • religious figures "Jero Gde" function also as ag extention agents.
  • system requirements, p. 127-8. justice issues as well as practical problems.
  • Neither Dutch colonists nor Green improved on Balinese water system. Lansing simluation to show efficiency of model. 130
  • Example 2: Judaism
  • recalls his speculative theses that golden rule and 10 commandments are almost certainly adaptive for groups.
  • Key features of Judaism: injunction to multiply and two sets of rules: one for intra group interaction, the other for out group policy.
  • conflicting advice: ethics of host; ethics of warrior.
  • assessment: in group / out group morality is hypocritical relative to our current ideals, but we need to look at it to see the mechanisms of selection at work among groups and cultures.
  • isolation mechanisms within Judaism: 136-7. Including gene-culture effects from cultural selection.
  • this example suggests that cultural isolation mechanisms of religion might be part of the mechanism for group effectiveness. (such as endogamy, required conversion)
  • note at 138: very concerned not to play into anti-Semitic criticism of Jews. Groups really do compete in different ways.
  • literary example, Isaac Singer: image of cultural disgust.
  • Example 3: Early Christianity
  • Stark's population theory of Christianity: at 40% per decade, on the high end of the range (like periods in contemporary Mormonism).
  • Basic theory, p. 148: Early Christianity became attractive to Jews and Gentiles because it offered continuity with Judaism and reformed rules that made inter-ethnic religion possible. Empirical evidence that growth of early Christianity was more influenced by Judaism than Roman culture. 149: growth of christianity correlates with jewish influence, negatively with Roman.
  • Christianity offered a competitive alternative to the social disorganization of life in many Roman cities, such as Antioch. cultural practices like high female infanticide; high ratio of males, cultural values about status and lineage; all cited as dysfunctional at this time and opposed by early Christians.
  • Functioned like "cells" to isolate social networks of people willing to submit to moral rules and observances. high level of care during outbreaks of illness; differential survival. quote at 154 and 155 (mentioin perputua and felicitas)