Ep 234: On the Evolution of Reason

27 snips

Mar 4, 2025

The discussion dives into the philosophical roots of human reasoning and its uniqueness. It highlights the genetic evolution of intelligence and how our understanding has shifted from authority to rational inquiry. The podcast critiques modern epistemological methods and emphasizes critical thinking's role. It explores the interpretation of fossil evidence, contrasting evolutionary theories with less credible ones. Cultural influences on belief justification and the search for knowledge are discussed, encouraging a skeptical and evidence-based approach to understanding our beliefs.

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INSIGHT

Human Uniqueness

Humans possess a unique capacity for universal explanation, unlike other species.
This allows us to understand, control, and shape our environment, not just adapt to it.

INSIGHT

Evolutionary Adam

The transition from non-explanatory to explanatory organisms implies a "first person," an "Adam," in evolutionary terms.
This individual's capacity for explanation marked a significant leap in cognitive abilities.

INSIGHT

Discrete Leap

Despite humans' capacity for explanation, there is no continuum of intelligence, but a discrete leap from non-explanation to explanation.
Early humans likely learned from non-creative hominids, with their unique minds remaining initially unnoticed.

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I recently had the opportunity to participate in "Spectrum Street Epistemology" with @drpeterboghossian and a number of others including @destiny . This episode was inspired by both that event and the many other conversations I had with Peter, Reid, David, Evan, Mia and Travis across the days I spent in Florida with those excellent people engaged in the important work of defending the Enlightenment. This is a sort of disjointed episode as I have in mind a particular audience of sophisticated thinkers on epistemology so I meander through my own worldview, take a historic look at why it is "belief" and "degrees of belief" or "strength of feeling", "confidence" and so on arose and became an important improvement on more primitive ways of thinking about the world. I compare all of that to what I argue is the most rational way of conceiving of "critical thinking". I end with some personal reflections. If you go to Peter's channel I imagine the many conversations we recorded together will be gradually released in the coming days and weeks. Compared to what I do here: their's is a very professional production! The videos accompanying the audio are a mixture of my own poorly shot camera work and stock footage - just so the viewer does not have to stare at nothing but my head for ~40 minutes.

00:00 Introductions

01:00 Are humans unique…just like every other species?

03:45 We are 98% the same as chimpanzees?

07:00 Was there an “Adam” - a first person?

09:00 The first creative minds

10:10 The evolution of authoritarianism

12:30 Medieval societies vs primitive tribalism

13:20 Early individualism, empiricism, rationalism and reason

16:10 Empiricism, rationalism and inductivism as “appeals to authority”

18:25 Belief and the weight of evidence

21:00 “Updating one’s priors”.

22:20 The God of the Subjectivism

23:30 Fossils

26:04 Better ways of thinking

29:00 Knowing and believing

31:00 Moving beyond “degrees of belief” and subjectivism

32:00 Knowledge: what it is

34:00 Knowing is binary

36:00 Reason is more than feeling

36:55 Reflecting on Spectrum Street Epistemology

41:05 Gratitude and acknowledgements