SOUL BELIEFS FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
What does Unpleasantness in Vermont teach us about the Frontal Lobe? - Answers :It
teaches us that damage to the frontal lobe effects decision making and planning (EX:
Phineas Gage). In Gage's case, planning and making decisions was effected, but his
movement and sensory abilities recovered almost fully.
cultural worldview - Answers :Provide beliefs about the nature of reality that assuage
our anxiety associated with the awareness of death
Faith in meaningful conception of reality
self-esteem - Answers :the belief that one is a valuable contributor to the universe
worldview defence - Answers :our exaggerated defense of similar and different others
following mortality salience
(we like people who have the same beliefs as us and dislike people who do not)
Instinctive behavior - Answers :hardwired upon birth
operate beyond one's awareness
EX: blinking, startle reaction, sucking reflex
Learned Behavior - Answers :learned throughout course of life, taught by others
EX: do not sick a fork into an electrical outlet, sunscreen, language, belief in Santa
Claus, belief in God
New Atheists - Answers :Sam Harris: Children are taught to believe the God's in their
parent's imagination
Richard Dawkins: believe *without question* what your authority figures tell you
Daniel Dennett: told the theory of evolution is false by ppl they *trust more* than
scientists
Christopher Hitchins: nobody knew what was going on when religion started to come up
in history
New Atheists attempt to... - Answers :debunk religion and attack ppl's feelings that in
turn protect our beliefs about soul and afterlife
, Internalized Beliefs - Answers :beliefs that have been reinforced early enough that they
become *non-questionable, conscious and unconscious fixed beliefs*
*rock*
*almost instinctive*
*protected by feelings* (potential to disturb internal milieu)
Santa and God - Answers :- adult males
- bearded
- know everything
- omnipresent (differ)
Santa's Gift: Breaks
God's Gift: Everlasting
Scientific materialism - Answers :a form of philosophical *monism* which holds that
matter is the fundamental substance in nature, and that all phenomena, including
mental phenomena and consciousness, are results of material interactions.
- emphasizes physicality
- difficult for materialists to argue against religion because belief in God operates on a
conscious awareness.
Human's 2 Tasks - Answers :Physical Survival
Psychological Survival
Physical Survival - Answers :alley rat screeches upon cat's arrival
warns other rats
hesistant to go into alley again
Psychological Survival - Answers :Ability to protect ourselves and internal milieu in
multiple ways, through many emotions
Perserve the image of ourselves
(Sense of) Self - Answers :a person's essential being that distinguishes them from
others, especially considered as the object of *introspection or reflexive action*
every self builds on another
confirmation bias - Answers :you want all of your beliefs to be confirmed
when you believe something with absolute certainity, you stop thinking about it --> not
good to do this; become unaware of other possible explanations
Stern - Answers :-child psychiatrist and infant researcher
What does Unpleasantness in Vermont teach us about the Frontal Lobe? - Answers :It
teaches us that damage to the frontal lobe effects decision making and planning (EX:
Phineas Gage). In Gage's case, planning and making decisions was effected, but his
movement and sensory abilities recovered almost fully.
cultural worldview - Answers :Provide beliefs about the nature of reality that assuage
our anxiety associated with the awareness of death
Faith in meaningful conception of reality
self-esteem - Answers :the belief that one is a valuable contributor to the universe
worldview defence - Answers :our exaggerated defense of similar and different others
following mortality salience
(we like people who have the same beliefs as us and dislike people who do not)
Instinctive behavior - Answers :hardwired upon birth
operate beyond one's awareness
EX: blinking, startle reaction, sucking reflex
Learned Behavior - Answers :learned throughout course of life, taught by others
EX: do not sick a fork into an electrical outlet, sunscreen, language, belief in Santa
Claus, belief in God
New Atheists - Answers :Sam Harris: Children are taught to believe the God's in their
parent's imagination
Richard Dawkins: believe *without question* what your authority figures tell you
Daniel Dennett: told the theory of evolution is false by ppl they *trust more* than
scientists
Christopher Hitchins: nobody knew what was going on when religion started to come up
in history
New Atheists attempt to... - Answers :debunk religion and attack ppl's feelings that in
turn protect our beliefs about soul and afterlife
, Internalized Beliefs - Answers :beliefs that have been reinforced early enough that they
become *non-questionable, conscious and unconscious fixed beliefs*
*rock*
*almost instinctive*
*protected by feelings* (potential to disturb internal milieu)
Santa and God - Answers :- adult males
- bearded
- know everything
- omnipresent (differ)
Santa's Gift: Breaks
God's Gift: Everlasting
Scientific materialism - Answers :a form of philosophical *monism* which holds that
matter is the fundamental substance in nature, and that all phenomena, including
mental phenomena and consciousness, are results of material interactions.
- emphasizes physicality
- difficult for materialists to argue against religion because belief in God operates on a
conscious awareness.
Human's 2 Tasks - Answers :Physical Survival
Psychological Survival
Physical Survival - Answers :alley rat screeches upon cat's arrival
warns other rats
hesistant to go into alley again
Psychological Survival - Answers :Ability to protect ourselves and internal milieu in
multiple ways, through many emotions
Perserve the image of ourselves
(Sense of) Self - Answers :a person's essential being that distinguishes them from
others, especially considered as the object of *introspection or reflexive action*
every self builds on another
confirmation bias - Answers :you want all of your beliefs to be confirmed
when you believe something with absolute certainity, you stop thinking about it --> not
good to do this; become unaware of other possible explanations
Stern - Answers :-child psychiatrist and infant researcher
