#177 Azim Shariff: The Science of Religion, Morality, And Self-Driving Cars
Dr. Azim Shariff is Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair at the University of British Columbia, Canada. He is a social psychologist whose research focuses on where morality intersects with religion, cultural attitudes and economics. Another rapidly expanding part of his research looks at human-technology interactions and the ethics of automation, including self-driving cars.
In this episode, we talk about the science of religion, and the ethics of self-driving cars. First, we refer to the role that the science of religion plays in the integration of the Humanities and the Sciences. Then, we address the prosocial and moral aspects of religion, starting with the role that Big Gods played in allowing for cohesion in large societies, and also the traits that work better in them. Also, why it is more difficult to explain religious misbelief than religious thinking. Finally, we discuss the ethics of self-driving cars, what people prefer to be their decisions, and what the future might hold for this technology.
Time Links:
Science of religion, and integrating the Humanities and the Sciences
Big Gods and big societies
Recent paper on Big Gods, by Harvey Whitehouse et. Al
Punishing or benevolent Gods – what works best?
Gods and agency
Do people really need to believe in an actual divine entity to obtain the same moral effects?
Does religion really create moral values?
The evolution of religious misbelief
The ethics of self-driving cars
Patterns in the ethics that people prefer for self-driving cars
Follow Dr. Shariff’s work!
Follow Dr. Shariff’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/2U4Xj4b
Articles on Researchgate: https://bit.ly/2NCo2PZ
The Science of Religion MOOC (Edx): https://bit.ly/2lsl41X
Twitter handle: @azimshariff
Paper referenced in the interview + comment:
Complex societies precede moralizing gods
throughout world history
Complex societies precede moralizing gods throughout world history: https://go.nature.com/2CxTVoy
Corrected analyses show that moralizing gods precede complex societies but serious data concerns remain: https://psyarxiv.com/jwa2n