Rationally Speaking Podcast Rationally Speaking #42 - On the Limits of Reason
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Aug 28, 2011 Julia and Massimo discuss the limits of reason, including failures in foundational projects. They explore the evolutionary psychology of reasoning and cognitive biases. The conversation touches on the difficulty of grasping profound scientific concepts and the intersection of technology and philosophy.
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Hume's Critique of Reason
- Hume showed there's no ultimate foundation for reason, especially in science.
- Deductive reasoning, used in math and logic, starts with assumptions and reaches certain conclusions.
Popper's Falsificationism
- Karl Popper proposed falsificationism as a solution to Hume's problem of induction.
- Falsificationism suggests that scientific theories can only be disproven, not proven.
Limitations of Falsificationism
- Falsificationism has limitations because failed predictions don't always mean a theory is wrong.
- Other factors can explain mismatches between predictions and observations.