Prof. Steven Pinker | The Evolution of Rationality (and Irrationality) | Lecture in Memory of Darwin

[@leonardosalvatore8667]

Pinker never fails to deliver fascinating lectures. The stark distinction between "real" beliefs and "mythological" beliefs is very intriguing. Beliefs in the Reality Zone are more immediate and practical, whereas beliefs in the Mythology Zone are more abstract and remote. However, the claim that mythological beliefs "don't impinge on [people's] day-to-day lives" (00:37:45) is highly questionable. For example, a family may care deeply about their children's schooling because they believe that the children are made in the image of God and thus ought to actualize their full potential through education. Regardless of its utility and potential veracity, the "mythological" belief in God informs the family's daily commitment to ensuring that the child has food on the table and enough clothing to attend school. In this case, the daily practice of ascertaining "real" beliefs arises from a prior commitment to a "mythological" belief. Pinker is right in differentiating the cognitive investments that go into each, but their relationship is much more intimate than he seemed to suggest.

[@larryparis925]

Excellent. Notice that A.R. Wallace's approach (1:17:00) to the evolution of human cognitive abilities is nothing but a god-of-the-gaps argument.

[@kennethhowe459]

I asked a non religious friend why he sent his children to the catholic school. He replied, "so they will know what they are rejecting when they grow up!"

[@donaldwhittaker7987]

Today, by coincidence, I just received in the mail origin of species and descent of man in one unabridged volume by the Modern Library. I read them long ago but the audiobook versions are narrated by AI and not as good as print. These 2 books are, I think, the best nonfiction books written during the 19th century. There are are some other good ones and I probably have read some of them but what Darwin did in writing these books basically created biology. No mean feat.

[@stevebaryakovgindi]

great lecture

[@joefriendly]

Behold! A scientific improvement in our reasoning, a Solar Compass for usefully sorting our ways of being human by rescuing birthday from astrology, appreciating birthday amounts to the dimension, phase, of the annual cycle of daily levels of solar energy flow to our Temperate Zone that newborns have evolved to respond to with various neural development, like networking patterns and parameters.

[@myself2noone]

Interesting. What other species have evolved similar abilities and in what evolutionary context? I'm unaware of any song birds that seem to work on that principle. And they tend to share the most similarities with human young. You also say we know this. How? What predictions dose it make? And how we're they tested? (Dropping the act a little parody only works if you understand a subject. And you don't.)

[@thomasulatowski3012]

Who gets tested for cancer? Not just random women. Mostly women at risk. Women at High risk?

[@BronteJoshua-i2o]

Harris Barbara Robinson Amy Taylor Thomas

[@ALavin-en1kr]

Darwin was definitely non rational he was not a philosopher, a theologian a psychologist or anything other than a biologist. The elements creating consciousness, and mind would be truly non rational. Consciousness and mind which supposedly did not exist yet being created by elements would be truly miraculous.

[@ГлебВерховский-п2р]

Fun facts and examples but they don't serve any purpose.