J. Anderson Thomson

{{short description|American psychiatrist and writer}}

{{notability|Biographies|date=February 2011}}

{{Infobox scientist

| caption = J. Anderson Thomson

| occupation = Psychiatrist, writer

| workplaces = private practice in Charlottesville, Virginia, Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Virginia Student Health Services, Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy, Region Ten Community Services

| alma_mater =Duke University (BA), University of Virginia (M.D.)

| website ={{URL|https://www.jandersonthomson.com}}

}}

J. Anderson Thomson Jr. is an American psychiatrist and writer. He is a Trustee of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science and board member of the Center for Inquiry. He is staff psychiatrist for Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Virginia Student Health Center, as well as the University of Virginia's Institute for Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy. Thomson also has his own private practice, and is a forensic psychiatrist for Region Ten Community Services. Thomson acquired his B.A. from Duke University in 1970, he acquired his M.D. from the University of Virginia in 1974, and he did his adult psychiatry training at the University of Virginia from 1974 to 1977.{{cite web |url=http://www.virginia.edu/studenthealth/capsstaff.html |title=Counseling and Psychological Services: Meet CAPS Staff |publisher=University of Virginia |work=Department of Student Health at the Elson Student Health Center |accessdate=2015-04-06 |archive-date=2015-04-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412220051/http://www.virginia.edu/studenthealth/capsstaff.html |url-status=dead }}

Thomson has published papers on a variety of issues, including racism, narcissistic personality disorder, forensic psychiatry, depression and PTSD. He is known for his work on evolutionary psychology,{{cite news |last=Brink |first=Susan |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jul-30-he-antidepressants30-story.html |title=Are Antidepressants Taking the Edge off Love? |work=Los Angeles Times |date=July 30, 2007 |access-date=2015-04-06}}{{cite news |authorlink=Jonah Lehrer |last=Lehrer |first=Jonah |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/magazine/28depression-t.html?_r=1 |title=Depression's Upside |work=The New York Times Magazine |date=February 25, 2010 |accessdate=2015-04-06}} as well as for his exploration of the cognitive and evolutionary basis of religious belief, as presented in his latest book entitled Why We Believe in God(s): A Concise Guide to the Science of Faith. Thomson has been a featured speaker at several atheist conferences including American Atheists 2009{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iMmvu9eMrg |title=Why We Believe in Gods - Andy Thomson - American Atheists 09 |work=YouTube |publisher=Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science |date=April 23, 2009 |accessdate=2015-04-06}} and Atheist Alliance International 2009{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnXmDaI8IEo |title='Morality: From the Heavens or From Nature?' by Dr. Andy Thomson, AAI 2009 |work=YouTube |publisher=Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science |date=October 15, 2009 |accessdate=2015-04-06}} for which he spoke about his theories on the cognitive origins of religious belief. In an interview with the Austin American-Statesman, Thomson stated, "There is a massive, irreconcilable conflict between science and religion. Religion was humanity's original cosmology, biology and anthropology. It provided explanations for the origin of the world, life and humans. Science now gives us increasingly complete explanations for those big three."{{cite news |title=Author offers evolutionary explanation for religion |work=Austin American-Statesman |date=June 19, 2011 |url=http://www.statesman.com/life/faith/author-offers-evolutionary-explanation-for-religion-1546961.html |accessdate=2015-04-06 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502201144/http://www.statesman.com/life/faith/author-offers-evolutionary-explanation-for-religion-1546961.html |archivedate=May 2, 2012 }} He is on the Board of Center for Inquiry.{{cite web |title=Board |url=https://centerforinquiry.org/about/board/ |website=Center for Inquiry |accessdate=9 April 2020}}