Soul Beliefs: Causes and Consequences - Unit 1: Historical Foundations
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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.
At a Glance
At a Glance
- Self-paced online course
- 15 hours of videos, quizzes and peer review
- Verified Certificate: Available
- Subtitles: English
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Outline
Speaker/s
Instructors
Prof. Daniel Ogilvie
Professor of Psychology
Psychology
Rutgers University
Prof. Leonard Hamilton
Professor of Psychology
Department of Psychology
Rutgers University
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