Material Information |
| Title: |
The Social Transmission of Moral and Religious Beliefs |
| Physical Description: |
Book |
| Language: |
English |
| Creator: |
Crafa, Daina |
| Publisher: |
New College of Florida |
| Place of Publication: |
Sarasota, Fla. |
| Creation Date: |
2004 |
| Publication Date: |
2004 |
Subjects |
| Subjects / Keywords: |
Nietzsche, Friedriche
Will to Power
Evolutionary Psychology
Sexual Selection
Inferences
Cognition
Genes
Evolution
Memes
Dawkins, Richard
Miller, Geoffrey
Boyer, Pascal
Philosophy
Morality
Ethics
Religion |
| Genre: |
bibliography ( marcgt )
theses ( marcgt )
government publication (state, provincial, terriorial, dependent) ( marcgt )
born-digital ( sobekcm )
Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
Notes |
| Abstract: |
This thesis looks at the social transmission of moral and religious beliefs in response to Richard Dawkins's theory of memes. Memes are much too simplistic because they do not account for variations in the ideas that are common to most people within a population or for the ability to decide to believe less memorable ideas. In order to provide a more thorough account of the social transmission of moral and religious beliefs, which does not fall prey to these short-comings, the theories of Friedrich Nietzsche, Geoffrey Miller, and Pascal Boyer are discussed and combined. Each theorist discusses a different component of the individual's role in social transmission--social, biological and cognitive--and each theorist solves some of the problems existing in the other theories. These theorists each illuminate genealogical components of social transmission's evolution or deevolution as the case may be. This genealogical illustration loosens the constraints that the institutions of morality and religion have on individuals and can be used as a tactic to channel the existing world views in order to learn from them. Furthermore, genealogy as tactic can be combined with the three theories in order to provide the possibility for individuals to be active participants in social transmission, rather than merely reactive carriers and conveyers of information. |
| Statement of Responsibility: |
by Daina Crafa |
| Thesis: |
Thesis (B.A.) -- New College of Florida, 2004 |
| Electronic Access: |
RESTRICTED TO NCF STUDENTS, STAFF, FACULTY, AND ON-CAMPUS USE |
| Bibliography: |
Includes bibliographical references. |
| Source of Description: |
This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law. |
| Local: |
Faculty Sponsor: Flakne, April |
Record Information |
| Source Institution: |
New College of Florida |
| Holding Location: |
New College of Florida |
| Rights Management: |
Applicable rights reserved. |
| Classification: |
local - S.T. 2004 C88 |
| System ID: |
NCFE003359:00001 |
|
Material Information |
| Title: |
The Social Transmission of Moral and Religious Beliefs |
| Physical Description: |
Book |
| Language: |
English |
| Creator: |
Crafa, Daina |
| Publisher: |
New College of Florida |
| Place of Publication: |
Sarasota, Fla. |
| Creation Date: |
2004 |
| Publication Date: |
2004 |
Subjects |
| Subjects / Keywords: |
Nietzsche, Friedriche
Will to Power
Evolutionary Psychology
Sexual Selection
Inferences
Cognition
Genes
Evolution
Memes
Dawkins, Richard
Miller, Geoffrey
Boyer, Pascal
Philosophy
Morality
Ethics
Religion |
| Genre: |
bibliography ( marcgt )
theses ( marcgt )
government publication (state, provincial, terriorial, dependent) ( marcgt )
born-digital ( sobekcm )
Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
Notes |
| Abstract: |
This thesis looks at the social transmission of moral and religious beliefs in response to Richard Dawkins's theory of memes. Memes are much too simplistic because they do not account for variations in the ideas that are common to most people within a population or for the ability to decide to believe less memorable ideas. In order to provide a more thorough account of the social transmission of moral and religious beliefs, which does not fall prey to these short-comings, the theories of Friedrich Nietzsche, Geoffrey Miller, and Pascal Boyer are discussed and combined. Each theorist discusses a different component of the individual's role in social transmission--social, biological and cognitive--and each theorist solves some of the problems existing in the other theories. These theorists each illuminate genealogical components of social transmission's evolution or deevolution as the case may be. This genealogical illustration loosens the constraints that the institutions of morality and religion have on individuals and can be used as a tactic to channel the existing world views in order to learn from them. Furthermore, genealogy as tactic can be combined with the three theories in order to provide the possibility for individuals to be active participants in social transmission, rather than merely reactive carriers and conveyers of information. |
| Statement of Responsibility: |
by Daina Crafa |
| Thesis: |
Thesis (B.A.) -- New College of Florida, 2004 |
| Electronic Access: |
RESTRICTED TO NCF STUDENTS, STAFF, FACULTY, AND ON-CAMPUS USE |
| Bibliography: |
Includes bibliographical references. |
| Source of Description: |
This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law. |
| Local: |
Faculty Sponsor: Flakne, April |
Record Information |
| Source Institution: |
New College of Florida |
| Holding Location: |
New College of Florida |
| Rights Management: |
Applicable rights reserved. |
| Classification: |
local - S.T. 2004 C88 |
| System ID: |
NCFE003359:00001 |
|