From cultural domains to cognitive models: inference and explanation in cognitive anthropology

Abstract

The author examines the patterns of inference and explanation utilized in cognitive anthropology of religion. The aim is twofold: first, to explicate their complementary roles in anthropological inquiry, and second, to discuss whether religious data, or people's perception of fundamental questions, pose any specific questions that should be taken into account. These examples highlight the kinds of religious models that have been prominent in the author’s own fieldwork, carried out in the Peruvian Amazon and Western Finland. With the help of examples, the author discusses, not only the problem of inference and explanation, but also the nature of religiosity and fundamental questions, and will propose the notion of quasi-religious attitudes in order to deal with diverse phenomena. After this the author brings up some questions inherent in the search for models, namely the multitude of possible models and pertinent doubts about under-determination. Finally, the author sets for the search for religious models: what they are, where they reside, on what features they should be grounded.