Rationality. What is it, why do we lack it and what is it important
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Can a book make a person more rational? Can she help us understand why there is so much irrationality around? Stephen Pinker, the author of the bestseller “Enlightenment continues” (which Bill Gates called “his new favorite book of all time”), answers these questions.
Right now, humanity reaches new heights of scientific understanding - and at the same time, it seems, gradually goes crazy. Why the species, less than a year has developed vaccines against Covid, is mired in false news, medical charlatanism and conspiracy theories? The Pinker immediately refuses the cynical cliche, which stages that the person is simply irrational - that it is eternal troglot, ready to react to a lion in the grass with a heap of prejudices, blind spots, false conclusions and illusions. In the end, we were able to discover the laws of nature, transform the planet, extend and enrich our own life and, not least, derive the rules of rationality. In fact, our mind is not adapted to the Savannah of the Pleistocene era. He copes perfectly wherever scientific or technological issues are not resolved, and people, in fact, rarely face something like that. But they, alas, are not able to fully use the instruments of cognition, which they themselves have developed over the past millennia: logic, critical thinking, probability theory, ideas about correlation and causality, as well as in optimal ways to clarify opinions and implement the decisions adopted as it alone, and collectively. These tools are not taught in the framework of typical educational programs, and they have never been told about one book in one book.
“rationality” also explores its opposite: as due to the rational persecution of personal interests, group solidarity and a paralyzing society of irrationality, a paralyzing society, designed to rally. Collective rationality is impossible without norms, purposefully created to encourage objectivity and affirmation of truth.
rationality is important. It helps us make the right choice both at the individual level and at the level of society as a whole, and ultimately is the root cause of the growth of social justice and moral progress. Employed with insight and humor, “rationality” enlightened, inspires and encourages
Right now, humanity reaches new heights of scientific understanding - and at the same time, it seems, gradually goes crazy. Why the species, less than a year has developed vaccines against Covid, is mired in false news, medical charlatanism and conspiracy theories? The Pinker immediately refuses the cynical cliche, which stages that the person is simply irrational - that it is eternal troglot, ready to react to a lion in the grass with a heap of prejudices, blind spots, false conclusions and illusions. In the end, we were able to discover the laws of nature, transform the planet, extend and enrich our own life and, not least, derive the rules of rationality. In fact, our mind is not adapted to the Savannah of the Pleistocene era. He copes perfectly wherever scientific or technological issues are not resolved, and people, in fact, rarely face something like that. But they, alas, are not able to fully use the instruments of cognition, which they themselves have developed over the past millennia: logic, critical thinking, probability theory, ideas about correlation and causality, as well as in optimal ways to clarify opinions and implement the decisions adopted as it alone, and collectively. These tools are not taught in the framework of typical educational programs, and they have never been told about one book in one book.
“rationality” also explores its opposite: as due to the rational persecution of personal interests, group solidarity and a paralyzing society of irrationality, a paralyzing society, designed to rally. Collective rationality is impossible without norms, purposefully created to encourage objectivity and affirmation of truth.
rationality is important. It helps us make the right choice both at the individual level and at the level of society as a whole, and ultimately is the root cause of the growth of social justice and moral progress. Employed with insight and humor, “rationality” enlightened, inspires and encourages
Author:
Author:Стивен Пинкер
Cover:
Cover:Hard
Category:
- Category:Politics & Social Science
- Category:Phylosophy
- Category:Reference books
Publication language:
Publication Language:Russian
Paper:
Paper:Offset
Age restrictions:
Age restrictions:16+
ISBN:
ISBN:978-5-00139-819-6
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