Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

233 | Hugo Mercier on Reasoning and Skepticism

Apr 17, 2023

Hugo Mercier, a cognitive scientist and author of "The Enigma of Reason," dives into the origins of human reasoning and its societal implications. He argues that our skepticism often fails, as we doubt non-conforming claims rather than radical ones. Mercier explores how reasoning shapes our beliefs, the influence of social dynamics on cult beliefs, and the importance of trust in communication. The discussion underscores the need for open-mindedness in a polarized world while navigating misinformation and understanding our cognitive biases.

01:12:34

Episode guests

Hugo Mercier

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Why do people believe false things?

03:22

Trusting Others: Overcoming Fear of Being Duped

01:09

The Power of Reason

04:20

The Evolution of Reasoning: Persuasion & Bias

02:56

Intro

5min

Exploring the Nature of Reasoning

16min

The Evolution of Reasoning: Communication and Cooperation

18min

The Psychology of Cult Beliefs and Rationality

2min

The Roots of Skepticism and Belief Formation

13min

Navigating Advertising Effectiveness and Cultivating Open-Mindedness

3min

Navigating Beliefs in a Polarized World

11min

The Importance of Trust in Reasoning and Social Interaction

4min

Here at the Mindscape Podcast, we are firmly pro-reason. But what does that mean, fundamentally and in practice? How did humanity come into the idea of not just doing things, but doing things for reasons? In this episode we talk with cognitive scientist Hugo Mercier about these issues. He is the co-author (with Dan Sperber) of The Enigma of Reason, about how the notion of reason came to be, and more recently author of Not Born Yesterday, about who we trust and what we believe. He argues that our main shortcoming is not being insufficiently skeptical of radical claims, but of being too skeptical of claims that don't fit our views.

Support Mindscape on Patreon.

Hugo Mercier received a Ph.D. in cognitive sciences from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales. He is currently a Permanent CNRS Research Scientist at the Institut Jean Nicod, Paris. Among his awards are the Prime d’excellence from the CNRS.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.