#757 Quentin Atkinson: Comparing Cultures, Climate Change, and Religion
RECORDED ON DECEMBER 5th 2022.
Dr. Quentin Atkinson is a Professor in Psychology at the University of Auckland, where he runs the Language, Cognition and Culture Lab, and co-Director of the University of Auckland Behavioural Insights Exchange (UoABIX). He uses lab and field experiments, computer modelling and evolutionary theory to shed light on the evolution of human culture and cognition. This work answers questions including the origins of linguistic diversity, the function of religion, the psychology of climate change, how evolved cognitive biases shape our social behavior and why political systems vary the way they do around the globe.
In this episode, we talk about politics, culture, and religion. We first talk about the cultural foundations of modern democracies. We discuss the study of cultures, the relationships of descent between them, and the challenges in building comparative cultural databases. We talk about the role of culture in how we respond to climate change. We then get into religion, and discuss its social functions; the relationship between moralizing gods and social complexity; and how the spread of Christianity occurred. Finally, Dr. Atkinson answers a question from a patron.
Time Links:
Intro
The cultural foundations of modern democracies
Studying relationships of descent between cultures
Challenges in building comparative cultural databases
The role of culture in how we respond to climate change
The social functions of religion
The relationship between moralizing gods and social complexity
Was the spread of Christianity top-bottom or bottom-up?
Question from a patron
Follow Dr. Atkinson’s work!
Follow Dr. Atkinson’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/3QJEI7C
Website: https://bit.ly/3Qvp2oG
ResearchGate profile: https://bit.ly/3zZTjFb
Twitter handle: @DrQueue