Trust in Testimony: How Children Learn About Science and Religion

Paul L. Harris ^[1] ; Melissa A. Koenig ^[2]
1. [1] Harvard University
  
  Harvard University
  
  City of Cambridge, Estados Unidos
2. [2] University of Chicago
  
  University of Chicago
  
  City of Chicago, Estados Unidos
Localización: Child development, ISSN 0009-3920, Vol. 77, Nº. 3, 2006, págs. 505-524
Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
- Many adult beliefs are based on the testimony provided by other people rather than on firsthand observation. Children also learn from other people's testimony. For example, they learn that mental processes depend on the brain, that the earth is spherical, and that hidden bodily organs constrain life and death. Such learning might indicate that other people's testimony simply amplifies children's access to empirical data. However, children's understanding of God's special powers and the afterlife shows that their acceptance of others' testimony extends beyond the empirical domain. Thus, children appear to conceptualize unobservable scientific and religious entities similarly. Nevertheless, some children distinguish between the 2 domains, arguably because a different pattern of discourse surrounds scientific as compared to religious entities.