1. PHIL 201 (STOLZE) Notes on Massimo Pigliucci, Answers for Aristotle, chapters 16-18 and conclusion

2. Key Issues in Chapter 16 Religion and Neuroscience Michael Persinger’s “God helmet” Naturalistic vs. Supernaturalistic Explanations of Religious Experience Superstition and Lack of Control Superstition Works (p. 240): “You believe in superstition > You engage in superstitious behavior > This increases your level of self-confidence > This in turn causes you to persist longer at the task > You are therefore more likely to succeed, other things being equal.”

3. Key Issues in Chapter 17 The Evolution of Religion Three Kinds of Causal Explanation linking Superstition and Religion: – Cognitive science – Biological – Cultural An Analogy with the Evolution of Language (pp. 248-251) Genetic vs. Cultural Evolution of Religion Three Characteristics involved of the Genetic Evolution of Religion: – Pattern seeking – Agency projection – Animism Pigliucci’s Criticism about the Vagueness of “Meme” Theory in Order to Explain the Cultural Evolution of Religion (pp. 259-261)

4. Key Issues in Chapter 18 Euthyphro’s Dilemma Theological Responses to the Dilemma: – Thomas Aquinas – Richard Swinburne – Robert Merrihew Adams

5. Key Issues in the Conclusion Evolutionary psychology and human nature Happiness research Nic Marks and the Happy Planet Index: www.ted.com/talks/nic_marks_the_happy_planet_index.html www.ted.com/talks/nic_marks_the_happy_planet_index.html