Public lecture by Dr. Michał Misiak

Taboos are cultural prohibitions accompanied by beliefs in metaphysical consequences for violators. While anthropologists have explained them through magical thinking, environmental sustainability, and power dynamics, their persistence may serve another function: fostering cooperation. My research investigates how taboos maintain group cohesion, hypothesizing that people cooperate less with taboo violators. In this view, taboos may serve as cultural tools to identify cheaters and transgressors