Aku Visala
Biographic Data
| ID | 1490118 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Aku Visala |
| GIVEN NAMES | Aku |
| FAMILY NAME | Visala |
| SIGNATURE | VISALA A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Notre Dame |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8692-804X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 5 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 17 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Moral Responsibility and the Major Depressive Disorder
This article examines the extent to which people suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) should be considered free and morally responsible for their wrongdoings. While moral responsibility literature often deals with delusions and addictions, MDD has not received the attention it deserves. I argue against the view that MDD automatically significantly mitigates (or completely exempts) moral responsibility for wrongdoings. I examine two diff…
Original sin, control, and divine blame: Some Critical Reflections on the Moderate Doctrine of Original Sin
This article examines a construal of the doctrine of original sin which affirms the cognitive corruption of human faculties but denies that humans carry original guilt for Adam's fall or for cognitive corruption. All humans require Christ's atonement, because they either inevitably commit at least one sin or are rejected by God for other reasons. We go on to identify three problems with this account. The first problem is the ‘inevitability’ of si…
Moral psychology of nursing robots: Exploring the role of robots in dilemmas of patient autonomy
Artificial intelligences (AIs) are widely used in tasks ranging from transportation to healthcare and military, but it is not yet known how people prefer them to act in ethically difficult situations. In five studies (an anthropological field study, n = 30, and four experiments, total n = 2150), we presented people with vignettes where a human or an advanced robot nurse is ordered by a doctor to forcefully medicate an unwilling patient. Participa…
Philosophical Foundations of Cognitive Science of Religion
The cognitive science of religion is not a single theory but a loosely related family of approaches. As such, it does not have a clearly outlined “philosophical foundation” and does not necessarily require one. Nevertheless, recurring themes that could be labeled philosophical or methodological are often discussed in the literature. The aim of the chapter is to identify and analyze the recurring themes over which there is a significant consensus …
Free Will and Relationality: Theological, Philosophical and Scientific Perspectives
Free Will and Relationality
How the Cognitive Sciences Might Contribute to the Theological Debate about Free Will
This article argues that recent results of the cognitive sciences could make significant contributions to theological debates about free will, but they have been largely ignored by contemporary systematic and philosophical theologians. Recent work in cognitive psychology and moral psychology has to do with our intuitive and automatic patterns of reasoning in the domains of freedom and responsibility. This research will be relevant for many theolo…
Theology, Free Will, and the Skeptical Challenge from the Sciences
Given how central free will and moral responsibility are for theology, Christian theologians should not remain at the sidelines when scientists and philosophers debate recent empirical results about human agency. In this article, the core notion of free will is identified with the agent's cognitive ability to exert control over his or her actions thereby making moral responsibility possible. Then three scientifically inspired arguments for free w…
Verbs, Bones, and Brains: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Human Nature
Reflections on the Debate: What Does Philosophy Have to Do with the Cognitive Study of Religion
Why should the study of religion in general and cognitive study of religion in particular be interested in philosophy in the first place, and vice versa? The paper offers some responses to the debate between John Shook and his respondents. It will suggest that such debates are useful, as it is a philosophical task to reflect upon the basic assumptions, inference patterns and theories of the study of religion. Furthermore, cognitive study of relig…
Tolerance or Recognition? What Can We Expect
The last two decades have seen the (re)emergence of the concept of recognition in ethical and political theory. Oftentimes, recognition is seen as a deeper, more developed version of tolerance, without the problems that tolerance purportedly has. We should not “merely” tolerate different individuals, identities and cultures, but recognize them, or so the argument goes. This move from tolerance to recognition is not without its critics. We will ou…
Three Quests for Human Nature: Some Philosophical Reflections
The notion of 'human nature' has long since captured the interest and imagination of philosophers, theologians, and scientists\ as such, it appears that the study of human nature is one amenable to inter-disciplinary cross-fertilization. However, it is not obvious that there is a single coherent project being undertaken, neither between nor within disciplines. Rather, we argue that there are three main quests for human nature - the quest for univ…
The cognitive science of religion and theism again: A reply to Leo Näreaho
In this article we respond to Leo Näreaho's critique of our position on the relationship of the cognitive science of religion (CSR) and theism, arguing that he misrepresents our position and assimilates our views to ones we do not in fact hold. The central issue we address has to do with how Näreaho construes what he takes to be our commitment to a ‘world-view neutrality’ thesis regarding the ‘assumptions and results’ of the new bio-psychological…
Religious experience and the metaphysics of meaning and value
Since I am not well acquainted with cognitive and neural theories of perception, I am unable to assess the details of the model of perception that Barrett's ecological approach to religious experie
Persons, Minds, and Bodies: Christian Philosophy on the Relationship of Persons and Their Bodies, Part I
The relationship of minds, bodies, and persons has been a central topic of debate in Western philosophy and theology. This article reviews the ongoing debates about the relationship and nature of bodies, minds, and persons among contemporary Christian analytic philosophers and theologians. The first two parts present some general theological constraints for philosophical theories of persons and describe the basic concepts used (substance, propert…
Persons, Minds, and Bodies: Christian Philosophy on the Relationship of Persons and Their Bodies, Part II
The relationship of minds, bodies, and persons has been a central topic of debate in Western philosophy and theology. This article reviews the ongoing debates about the relationship and nature of bodies, minds, and persons among contemporary Christian analytic philosophers and theologians. The first two parts present some general theological constraints for philosophical theories of persons and describe the basic concepts used (substance, propert…
The cognitive science of religion: A modified theist response
Critics of religion have recently claimed that the natural explanation of religious-belief formation offered by the Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR) is incompatible with theism. Defenders of theism have in turn responded to these claims by arguing for the compatibility of the CSR account with theism. In this paper we propose a modified defence of the compatibility of the CSR account with theism which supplements extant theistic arguments by dr…
Between Religion and Science: Integrating Psychological and Philosophical Accounts of Explanatory Coexistence
Examining the relationship between religion and science has until recently been considered a philosophical exercise and, as a consequence, theories of how natural and supernatural explanations are related tend to be highly abstract and operate at the level of ideal rationality rather than in the psychological reality of actual believers. Although cognitive developmental psychologists have studied the topic of explanation quite extensively, until …
Naturalistic Explanation for Religious Belief
Recent decades have seen the emergence of various cognitive and biological explanations of religious belief that claim to be better scientifically supported than predecessor explanations. This article provides an overview of such explanations and some of the philosophical discussions they have evoked. Contemporary naturalistic explanations of religious belief come in three types: (1) cognitive explanations, (2) evolutionary explanations and (3) c…
Moral psychology of nursing robots: Exploring the role of robots in dilemmas of patient autonomy
Artificial intelligences (AIs) are widely used in tasks ranging from transportation to healthcare and military, but it is not yet known how people prefer them to act in ethically difficult situations. In five studies (an anthropological field study, n = 30, and four experiments, total n = 2150), we presented people with vignettes where a human or an advanced robot nurse is ordered by a doctor to forcefully medicate an unwilling patient. Participa…
Naturalistic Explanation for Religious Belief
Recent decades have seen the emergence of various cognitive and biological explanations of religious belief that claim to be better scientifically supported than predecessor explanations. This article provides an overview of such explanations and some of the philosophical discussions they have evoked. Contemporary naturalistic explanations of religious belief come in three types: (1) cognitive explanations, (2) evolutionary explanations and (3) c…
Original sin, control, and divine blame: Some Critical Reflections on the Moderate Doctrine of Original Sin
This article examines a construal of the doctrine of original sin which affirms the cognitive corruption of human faculties but denies that humans carry original guilt for Adam's fall or for cognitive corruption. All humans require Christ's atonement, because they either inevitably commit at least one sin or are rejected by God for other reasons. We go on to identify three problems with this account. The first problem is the ‘inevitability’ of si…
The cognitive science of religion: A modified theist response
Critics of religion have recently claimed that the natural explanation of religious-belief formation offered by the Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR) is incompatible with theism. Defenders of theism have in turn responded to these claims by arguing for the compatibility of the CSR account with theism. In this paper we propose a modified defence of the compatibility of the CSR account with theism which supplements extant theistic arguments by dr…
Between Religion and Science: Integrating Psychological and Philosophical Accounts of Explanatory Coexistence
Examining the relationship between religion and science has until recently been considered a philosophical exercise and, as a consequence, theories of how natural and supernatural explanations are related tend to be highly abstract and operate at the level of ideal rationality rather than in the psychological reality of actual believers. Although cognitive developmental psychologists have studied the topic of explanation quite extensively, until …
Naturalistic Explanation for Religious Belief
Recent decades have seen the emergence of various cognitive and biological explanations of religious belief that claim to be better scientifically supported than predecessor explanations. This article provides an overview of such explanations and some of the philosophical discussions they have evoked. Contemporary naturalistic explanations of religious belief come in three types: (1) cognitive explanations, (2) evolutionary explanations and (3) c…
Three Quests for Human Nature: Some Philosophical Reflections
The notion of 'human nature' has long since captured the interest and imagination of philosophers, theologians, and scientists\ as such, it appears that the study of human nature is one amenable to inter-disciplinary cross-fertilization. However, it is not obvious that there is a single coherent project being undertaken, neither between nor within disciplines. Rather, we argue that there are three main quests for human nature - the quest for univ…
The cognitive science of religion and theism again: A reply to Leo Näreaho
In this article we respond to Leo Näreaho's critique of our position on the relationship of the cognitive science of religion (CSR) and theism, arguing that he misrepresents our position and assimilates our views to ones we do not in fact hold. The central issue we address has to do with how Näreaho construes what he takes to be our commitment to a ‘world-view neutrality’ thesis regarding the ‘assumptions and results’ of the new bio-psychological…
Religious experience and the metaphysics of meaning and value
Since I am not well acquainted with cognitive and neural theories of perception, I am unable to assess the details of the model of perception that Barrett's ecological approach to religious experie
Persons, Minds, and Bodies: Christian Philosophy on the Relationship of Persons and Their Bodies, Part I
The relationship of minds, bodies, and persons has been a central topic of debate in Western philosophy and theology. This article reviews the ongoing debates about the relationship and nature of bodies, minds, and persons among contemporary Christian analytic philosophers and theologians. The first two parts present some general theological constraints for philosophical theories of persons and describe the basic concepts used (substance, propert…
Persons, Minds, and Bodies: Christian Philosophy on the Relationship of Persons and Their Bodies, Part II
The relationship of minds, bodies, and persons has been a central topic of debate in Western philosophy and theology. This article reviews the ongoing debates about the relationship and nature of bodies, minds, and persons among contemporary Christian analytic philosophers and theologians. The first two parts present some general theological constraints for philosophical theories of persons and describe the basic concepts used (substance, propert…
Tolerance or Recognition? What Can We Expect
The last two decades have seen the (re)emergence of the concept of recognition in ethical and political theory. Oftentimes, recognition is seen as a deeper, more developed version of tolerance, without the problems that tolerance purportedly has. We should not “merely” tolerate different individuals, identities and cultures, but recognize them, or so the argument goes. This move from tolerance to recognition is not without its critics. We will ou…
Verbs, Bones, and Brains: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Human Nature
Reflections on the Debate: What Does Philosophy Have to Do with the Cognitive Study of Religion
Why should the study of religion in general and cognitive study of religion in particular be interested in philosophy in the first place, and vice versa? The paper offers some responses to the debate between John Shook and his respondents. It will suggest that such debates are useful, as it is a philosophical task to reflect upon the basic assumptions, inference patterns and theories of the study of religion. Furthermore, cognitive study of relig…
Theology, Free Will, and the Skeptical Challenge from the Sciences
Given how central free will and moral responsibility are for theology, Christian theologians should not remain at the sidelines when scientists and philosophers debate recent empirical results about human agency. In this article, the core notion of free will is identified with the agent's cognitive ability to exert control over his or her actions thereby making moral responsibility possible. Then three scientifically inspired arguments for free w…
Free Will and Relationality: Theological, Philosophical and Scientific Perspectives
Free Will and Relationality
How the Cognitive Sciences Might Contribute to the Theological Debate about Free Will
This article argues that recent results of the cognitive sciences could make significant contributions to theological debates about free will, but they have been largely ignored by contemporary systematic and philosophical theologians. Recent work in cognitive psychology and moral psychology has to do with our intuitive and automatic patterns of reasoning in the domains of freedom and responsibility. This research will be relevant for many theolo…
Philosophical Foundations of Cognitive Science of Religion
The cognitive science of religion is not a single theory but a loosely related family of approaches. As such, it does not have a clearly outlined “philosophical foundation” and does not necessarily require one. Nevertheless, recurring themes that could be labeled philosophical or methodological are often discussed in the literature. The aim of the chapter is to identify and analyze the recurring themes over which there is a significant consensus …
Moral psychology of nursing robots: Exploring the role of robots in dilemmas of patient autonomy
Artificial intelligences (AIs) are widely used in tasks ranging from transportation to healthcare and military, but it is not yet known how people prefer them to act in ethically difficult situations. In five studies (an anthropological field study, n = 30, and four experiments, total n = 2150), we presented people with vignettes where a human or an advanced robot nurse is ordered by a doctor to forcefully medicate an unwilling patient. Participa…
Moral Responsibility and the Major Depressive Disorder
This article examines the extent to which people suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) should be considered free and morally responsible for their wrongdoings. While moral responsibility literature often deals with delusions and addictions, MDD has not received the attention it deserves. I argue against the view that MDD automatically significantly mitigates (or completely exempts) moral responsibility for wrongdoings. I examine two diff…
Original sin, control, and divine blame: Some Critical Reflections on the Moderate Doctrine of Original Sin
This article examines a construal of the doctrine of original sin which affirms the cognitive corruption of human faculties but denies that humans carry original guilt for Adam's fall or for cognitive corruption. All humans require Christ's atonement, because they either inevitably commit at least one sin or are rejected by God for other reasons. We go on to identify three problems with this account. The first problem is the ‘inevitability’ of si…
Epistemology (14 works) · Philosophy (13 works) · Psychology (11 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Cognition (6 works) · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology (5 works) · Social Psychology (5 works) · Theology and Philosophy of Evil (5 works) · Metaphysics (4 works) · Study and Philosophy of Religion (4 works)