معرفی
Dr. Paulo Sousa is a Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Anthropology and Director of the Institute of Cognition and Culture at Queen's University Belfast. He holds a BA/MA in Anthropology from the University of Brasilia (Brazil), an MA in Cognitive Science from Institut Jean Nicod (Paris), and a PhD in Anthropology (specializing in Cognition and Culture) from the University of Michigan (USA). His research focuses on agency, moral psychology, intergroup conflict, and their relationship to religion. He has supervised numerous PhD students, including notable scholars such as Dr. Lauren Swiney (Warwick) and Dr. Colin Holbrook (UC Merced).
- Affiliations: Institute of Cognition and Culture, Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy & Politics
Research interests span cognitive approaches to morality, cross-cultural studies on agency, and the role of supernatural beliefs in human conflict. He is currently writing a book on how ordinary people conceptualize harm and morality. Sousa has received multiple fellowships (Culture & Cognition, Rackham) and awards, including a poster prize for work on moral domains.
Key achievements include applying epidemiological approaches to anthropological ideas and leading international projects on moral psychology. His work bridges anthropology, cognitive science, and philosophy, addressing questions like: How do humans conceptualize agency? What mechanisms underpin moral judgments? Why do intergroup conflicts persist?
Publications span 55+ peer-reviewed articles, with recent work focusing on moral wrongdoing, legal culpability, and the cognitive foundations of morality. He actively participates in interdisciplinary collaborations, including projects on moral objectivism and the reproducibility of experimental philosophy.
