Robert N. McCauley

Robert N. McCauley is the William Rand Kenan Jr. University Professor of Philosophy at Emory University and was the Founding Director of the Center for Mind, Brain, and Culture (2008-2016). He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1979 and has established himself as a pioneer in the cognitive science of religion.

Dr. McCauley's research focuses on the philosophy of science (particularly philosophy of psychology and cognitive science), the cognitive science of religion, and naturalized epistemology. His groundbreaking work explores how our minds are better suited to religious belief than scientific inquiry, arguing that religious explanations engage our natural cognitive systems while science requires abstract thinking and significant mental effort. His influential publications include Why Religion Is Natural and Science Is Not (Oxford University Press, 2011) and Hearing Voices and Other Matters of the Mind (co-authored with George Graham, Oxford University Press, 2020).

His recent scholarly work demonstrates a sustained exploration of cognitive and evolutionary approaches to religion, with a particular emphasis on ritual theory, religious cognition, and the relationship between scientific and religious thought. Over the past decade, his research has increasingly incorporated insights from neuroscience while maintaining his philosophical foundation.

• Emory Williams Distinguished Teaching Award (1996)
• Outstanding Teaching Recognition by American Philosophical Association (1997)
• Massee-Martin/NEH Distinguished Teaching Professor at Emory (1994-1998)
• President of Society for Philosophy and Psychology (1997-1998)
• President of International Association for the Cognitive Science of Religion (2010-2012)
• Gifford Lecturer at University of Aberdeen

Dr. McCauley has received significant research support from prestigious organizations including the American Council of Learned Societies, National Endowment for the Humanities, American Academy of Religion, Council for Philosophical Studies, and The John Templeton Foundation. He has served as Director of the Emory College Center for Teaching and Curriculum (2001-2004) and maintains an active presence through his Psychology Today blog Why Religion Is Natural and Science Is Not.