Faith and the developing brain

Duration: 21 mins 31 secs

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Description:	Talk given by Dr Duncan Astle as part of short course 32 (The Believing Brain)


Created:	2016-02-02 15:15
Collection:	Faraday Institute Lectures
Publisher:	University of Cambridge
Copyright:	Dr Z Binns
Language:	eng (English)
Keywords:	faith; brain; child; astle; faraday; science; religion;


Abstract:	Human cognitive and neural development is slow, with even very simple systems and capabilities developing gradually through infancy and early childhood. More complex cognitive abilities, like our capacity for memory, attention or language, show highly protracted developmental trajectories. That is they do not reach full maturity until adolescence or adulthood. We take an empirical approach to studying these developmental processes, their variability across different children, their consequences for educational attainment and role in disorder. I will describe briefly the methods and techniques that we use to study human cognitive and brain development, and the influences of genetic, environmental and social processes upon that development. However, these issues need not just be considered from a scientific perspective; many philosophers of mind and theologians are interested in the characteristics that establish our identity, and the origins of and influences upon those characteristics. A consistent theme among many faith traditions is the notion that our current identity is established prior to birth, either stemming from past behaviour or some divine process. This notion of identity as predetermined is apparently at odds with the science, which broadly speaking emphasises a slow and highly fragile development process. In this talk I will consider whether and how we can integrate these different, apparently contradictory, levels of explanation and analysis.

Abstract:

Human cognitive and neural development is slow, with even very simple systems and capabilities developing gradually through infancy and early childhood. More complex cognitive abilities, like our capacity for memory, attention or language, show highly protracted developmental trajectories. That is they do not reach full maturity until adolescence or adulthood. We take an empirical approach to studying these developmental processes, their variability across different children, their consequences for educational attainment and role in disorder. I will describe briefly the methods and techniques that we use to study human cognitive and brain development, and the influences of genetic, environmental and social processes upon that development. However, these issues need not just be considered from a scientific perspective; many philosophers of mind and theologians are interested in the characteristics that establish our identity, and the origins of and influences upon those characteristics. A consistent theme among many faith traditions is the notion that our current identity is established prior to birth, either stemming from past behaviour or some divine process. This notion of identity as predetermined is apparently at odds with the science, which broadly speaking emphasises a slow and highly fragile development process. In this talk I will consider whether and how we can integrate these different, apparently contradictory, levels of explanation and analysis.

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