Edward Slingerland

Edward Slingerland is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and Distinguished University Scholar at the University of British Columbia, where he serves as Professor of Philosophy with joint appointments in Psychology and Asian Studies. After completing his education at Princeton, Stanford, and UC Berkeley, he has established himself as a leading expert in early Chinese thought, comparative religion, and cognitive science. As Director of the Database of Religious History, he leads groundbreaking research in digital humanities and religious cultural history, securing over $11 million in research grants. His scholarly work spans multiple disciplines, including cognitive linguistics, virtue ethics, and evolutionary psychology, with a particular focus on integrating humanities and sciences. His academic excellence has been recognized through numerous awards, including the Daniel M. Wegner Theoretical Innovation Prize and the American Academy of Religion's Best First Book award. Beyond traditional scholarship, he has authored influential trade books including "Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization" and "Trying Not to Try," which bridge ancient wisdom with modern science. His research consistently aims to bring psychological realism and evolutionary perspectives to cultural studies while demonstrating the value of humanistic expertise in scientific research.