Podcast — Episode 10
Why We Need Religion: A Conversation with Stephen T. Asma
Our guest on this episode is Stephen T. Asma, author of The Evolution of Imagination and Why We Need Religion.
Part One:
As a musician, how do you understand what happens in the brain during jazz improvisation? (1:30) — How does the pressure of a ‘live’ musical performance stimulate creativity? (4:45) — From Aristotle and Kant to behaviorism: have philosophers and psychologists fully appreciated the value of the imagination? (7:00) — Why scientists should use films and novels, not just experiments, to understand human beings (10:00) — Jaak Panksepp, Antonio Damasio and affective neuroscience: the importance of emotions for decision-making (12:00)
Part Two:
Even agnostics can appreciate how religion helps people handle their emotions (0:45) — How art as a social ritual can demonstrate solidarity and foster positive emotions and group bonding (3:45) — Varieties of U.S. musical culture: blue-state irony, red-state sincerity, and the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky (6:00) — How to approach debates between nonbelievers and religious believers (8:45) — How the human mind is like an abstract painting (11:30)
This conversation took place at UT Dallas on February 23, 2018.
This episode was recorded and edited by Andrew Oh and Oskar Olsson.
The Athenaeum Review podcast is produced by Creative Disturbance.