giant fish, giant otters, and dinosaurs: “apparently irrational beliefs” in a Chipewyan community | Zendy

SHARP HENRY S. | Zendy

AI Assistant Blog Pricing

Home ZAIA Blog

Premium

giant fish, giant otters, and dinosaurs: “apparently irrational beliefs” in a Chipewyan community

Author(s) -

SHARP HENRY S.

Publication year - 1987

Publication title -

american ethnologist

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 0.875

H-Index - 78

eISSN - 1548-1425

pISSN - 0094-0496

DOI - 10.1525/ae.1987.14.2.02a00030

Subject(s) - reductionism , irrational number , interpretation (philosophy) , epistemology , meaning (existential) , rationalism , philosophy , sociology , mathematics , linguistics , geometry

Dan Sperber's recent formulations of Rationalism advocate a form of cognitive reductionism in the interpretation of “apparently irrational beliefs” that is contingent upon a linear model of brain functioning analogous to the operations of a computer. This paper considers several nonexistent beings among the Chipewyan, arguing that such reductionism is invalid. As shared forms, their meaning is consistently indeterminate and temporally nonlinear, invalidating the assumptions of a Rationalist approach. [Chipewyan, Northern Athapaskans, rationalist, explanation, representations]

This content is not available in your region!

Continue researching here.

Having issues? You can contact us here

Accelerating Research