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Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. Māori Orality and Extended Cognition: a cognitive approach to memory and oral tradition in the Pacific By David James Murphy A thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Victoria University of Wellington 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………….…iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS………………………………………………………………....iv LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES…………………………………………………….....v INTRODUCTION…………………………………………..…….………………………..1 0.1 The Aim of the Thesis.…………………………………...…………………………….1 0.2 Cognitive Ecology and Māori Oral Tradition.………….……………………...…........7 0.3 Oral Traditions: some conceptual disclaimers………………………………………..14 0.4 The Structure of the Thesis……………………………………………………………19 CHAPTER ONE…………………………………………………………………………..32 1.1 Introduction..……………………………………………………………………….....32 1.2 The Cognitive Revolution: a computational theory of mind………………………….34 1.3 Habits of Mind.………………………………………………………………………..41 1.4 Epidemiology of Representations..……………………………………………………49 1.5 The Standard Internal Model of Religious Cognition………………………………...54 1.5.1 Boyer’s Cognitive Optimum………………………………………………………..59 1.6 Whitehouse’s Modes Theory………………………………………………….............66 1.7 Discussion………………………………………………………………..……………80 CHAPTER TWO……………………………………………………………………...…..84 2.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………...……....84 2.2 Mnemotechnics: an overview..………………………………………..………………86 2.3 Spatial Imagery, Mnemotechnics and Storytelling…………………………………...92 2.4 Macrospatial knowledge, Orality and Cognition………………………………….....102 CHAPTER THREE…………………………………………………………………...…107 3.1 Introduction..……………………………………………………………….……..…107 3.2 Text and Talk: Māori epistemology and oral tradition………………………………107 3.3 Whakapapa as a Cognitive Map……………………………………………….…….111 3.4 The Epistemic Landscape………………………………………………………........119 3.5 Discussion………………………………………………………………………........136 CHAPTER FOUR…………………………………………………………………..…...138 4.1 Introduction.…………………………………………………………………….…...138 4.2 Niche Construction: an overview.………………………………………..…….……140 4.3 Epistemic Niche Construction.………………………………………………….…...144 4.4 Māori Pedagogy and the Sacred.……………………………………..…………...…151 4.5 Māori Orality: eloquence and memory..……………………………………….…….159 4.6 Discussion.……………………………………….………………………….……….168 CHAPTER FIVE……………………………………………………………..…….…....172 5.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………....…….172 5.2 First and Second Wave Extended Mind Models…………………………………….176 5.3 Conceptual Blending and Knowledge Stability…………………………………......185 5.4 Māori Oral Maps and Distributed Cognition………………………………………...193 5.5 Discussion.……………………………………………………………………...........203 i CHAPTER SIX…..………………………………………………………………….…..206 6.1 Conclusion.………………………………………………………………….…….....206 APPENDICES……………………………………………………………………....…...226 Appendix 1: Māori Glossary of Terms (general)……………………………………......226 Appendix 2: Māori Place Names Glossary.…………………………………………......229 BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………...………….…….231 ii 'Māori Orality and Extended Cognition: a cognitive approach to memory and oral tradition in the Pacific' - By David James Murphy ABSTRACT: Though philosophers have long held that interpretive anthropology and the cognitive science of religion (CSR) are opposed, this thesis offers an extended empirical assessment of the issues surrounding the implications of utilizing ethnographic material within a cognitive study of religious transmission. Using case studies from the Pacific, I consider a core question arising in both interpretative and cognitive disciplines, namely: how have oral cultures been able to preserve and transmit bodies of sacred knowledge cross-generationally without any external administrative tools (i.e. text)? First, I focus on the historical and ethnographic details of traditional Māori orality. I look at how orally transmitted knowledge was managed through the external cognitive resources associated with religious ritual. Here I find evidence within Pacific oral traditions that the problem of managing knowledge was overcome through tools and strategies that augmented memory and oral skill. I give special attention to the traditional Māori structuring of learning environments. Next I consider how macro-spatial tools – such as landmarks, and place names - helped support working memory and information management, and show that orientations to landscape are vital to ensuring collective memory. This thesis also demonstrates how culturally learned tools and strategies support the stability of religious cultural transmission. The use of external cognitive resources implies the complexity of managing and organizing sacred knowledge. Put simply, focusing on the historical accounts from the Pacific reveals a rich suite of culturally evolved tools and strategies for the transmission of religious knowledge. I show that tools such as ritual, myth, mnemonic techniques, and artifacts enable and stabilise such transmission. I hold, that such cultural environments constitute cognitive tools that are meaningfully described as cultural cognitive systems. Thus, combining descriptive accounts with the theoretical orientations of the cognitive sciences motivates what I call a ‘cognitive ecological’ model of mind. I argue that the cognitive ecological model is important because it orients researchers to the role that culturally evolved tools play in: (1) dramatically extending the human brain’s power to reckon with its surroundings and: (2) coordinating such knowledge across social groups and over time. The cognitive ecological model of mind I propose in this study is important for three reasons: First, it challenges the received view within the CSR – what I call the ‘Standard Internal Model’ (SiM) – which holds that the transmission of religious representations carries low cognitive demands (i.e. it is cognitively optimal). In contrast to SiM, the Pacific materials discussed here suggest that the oral transmission of sacred knowledge is cognitively demanding, culturally costly, and locally contingent. Second, my thesis demonstrates that historical and ethnographic evidence contains information that is vital for progress in the CSR since qualitative resources document how niche specific cultural practices often facilitate the acquisition and coordination of the complex knowledge resources over time. The ethnographic data supports the local optimality contention. Third, my thesis reveals that formulating tractable models for cultural transmission within the CSR is benefitted by an interdisciplinary approach. Such a prospect, I urge, is vital for intellectual progress between the humanities and the CSR. As such, and contrary to received opinion, my thesis shows how the CSR and the cultural anthropology of religion share a common intellectual fate. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It would not have been possible to write this doctoral thesis without the help and support of the good people around me. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the financial, academic and technical support provided by Victoria University and its staff, particularly in the Vice Chancellors PhD Scholarship that provided the necessary financial support for this research, with further production costs for this thesis being supported by a Templeton World Charity Foundation Grant (ID: 0077). However, this thesis would not have had any ability to thrive without the help and patience of my primary supervisor, Dr. Joseph Bulbulia – not to mention his capacity as a navigator, which included his inexhaustible encouragement and wealth of knowledge within the cognitive science of religion. I cannot thank Joseph enough for providing me with the necessary guidance during my years in the graduate programme. I would also like to thank my secondary advisor Dr. Michael Radich. The commitment and focus maintained with Michael’s post-graduate students, and the careful guidance he has provided with my own thesis from the beginning have been invaluable. Thank-you again. I would personally like to thank my wife Michelle for her strong support and great patience at all times. She has been a rock during this project. Here’s to the next chapter, my love. In addition, my mother and stepfather have always given me their unconditional support and love throughout my academic career. My deepest gratitude goes out to you both for your love and encouragement. This PhD signals the end of my time as a researcher at Victoria University of Wellington and there have been many individuals who had a positive influence on my own personal and professional experiences at this wonderful institution. I cannot emphasize how supportive and helpful the Religious Studies Department has been during my time as a tutor and postgraduate here. For nurturing such an encouraging working environment I would like to thank Aliki Kalliabetsos, the department’s Administrator. Her commitment, care and professionalism have been a critical resource, and a solid foundation for my own dedication to this field. I would also like to thank Professor Paul Morris, Dr. Rick Weiss, Dr. Chris Marshall, and Dr. Geoff Troughton for their supportive roles during my tenure as a post-graduate student. Your input and contribution to the Religious Studies Department has established a stimulating and welcoming academic and social environment. Thank-you.