Miracles: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Yujin Nagasawa

Author:Yujin Nagasawa [Nagasawa, Yujin]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9780191064333
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Published: 2017-11-16T05:00:00+00:00

Minimal counterintuitiveness

We have seen that children are surprised when they witness events that violate their expectations. This element of surprise seems to play a crucial role in explaining why belief in miracles is so widespread and found in virtually all cultural and religious traditions. The anthropologist Pascal Boyer introduces the so-called minimal counterintuitiveness theory, which says that concepts that deviate slightly from intuitive expectations—concepts with a small surprise element—can be transmitted more successfully than common concepts that are compatible with expectations. Let us illustrate this point with an example:

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