What Does God Have to Do with It? The Links Between Religion, Radicalism and Violence
http://www.brookings.edu/events/2007/1023_radicalism.aspx
(Transcript)
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/events/2007/1023_radicalism/1023_radicalism.pdf
Tom Pyszczynski, Professor, Social Psychology
http://www.uccs.edu/~psych/faculty/pyszczynski.htm
Professor Pyszczynski’s research is focused primarily on terror management theory, which he developed with his colleagues Jeff Greenberg and Sheldon Solomon. Terror management theory is concerned with the role of self-esteem and cultural belief systems in providing protection against core human fears, especially the fear of death. Over the years Professor Pyszczynski and colleagues have explored the role of terror management processes in a wide range of topics, including self-esteem, self-deception, prejudice, interpersonal relations, altruism, aggression, sexual ambivalence, disgust, depression, anxiety disorders, unconscious processes, aging, human development, and terrorism. He has also conducted research on how people fool themselves into believing that their biased views follow logically from the available facts and on the role of self-regulatory processes in depression and other psychological disorders.
Terror Management Theory
http://www.tmt.missouri.edu/
Terror management theory (TMT) is a theory within psychology that focuses on, according to the theory, the implicit emotional reactions of people that occur when confronted with the psychological terror of knowing we will eventually die.
The theory builds from the assumption that the capability of self-reflection and the consciousness of one’s own mortality can be regarded as a continuous source for existential anguish. This "irresolvable paradox" is created from the desire to preserve life and the realization of that impossibility (because life is finite).
One's cultural world view is a "symbolic protector" between the reality of life and inevitability of death. Because of this men and women strive to have their cultural worldview confirmed by others, thereby receiving the community’s esteem. However, when one’s worldview is threatened by the world view of another, it often results in one’s self-respect being endangered as well. In such a situation, people not only endeavour to deny or devalue the importance of others' world views but also try to refute the ideas and opinions of others which may, as a consequence, escalate into a conflict. As a result, mortality salience increases stereotypic thinking and intergroup bias between groups.
종교가 집단간 일으키는 비도덕과 폭력의 정당성을 부여하는 등의 부작용(?)을 상쇄하고도 남은 만큼 개인의 불안을 해소하고 문화적 세계관을 제공하는 등의 혜택, 또 집단(특히, 인종이나 계급과 같은 하위집단이 많은 사회) 내의 응집성을 높힌다는 혜택이 있는데... 종교 Meme을 대신할만한 보다 진화된 Meme이 등장할건가...? 아니면 숙주에 덜 해를 끼치고 오랫동안 인간과 공생하며 진화 해온 바이러스처럼, 종교도 진화하여 종교로 인해 집단간 발생하는 문제를 해결할건가...?
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