Tuesday, June 14, 2011

NY Times: Reason Seen More as Weapon Than Path to Truth

Rationality evolved to win arguments, some scholars suggest, and flawed reasoning is itself an adaptation.
 
For centuries thinkers have assumed that the uniquely human capacity for reasoning has existed to let people reach beyond mere perception and reflex in the search for truth. Rationality allowed a solitary thinker to blaze a path to philosophical, moral and scientific enlightenment.
 
Now some researchers are suggesting that reason evolved for a completely different purpose: to win arguments.
 
 
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"See, I told you they'd listen to Reason." Fisheye says, shutting down the whirling gun.
Now Hiro sees a nameplate tacked onto the control panel:
"REASON"
 

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