Philosophical Currents Being Wrong: Understanding Human Fallibility and Learning from Mistakes
Oct 2, 2024
Jack Russell Weinstein, Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, explores why we err and what that means for learning and ethics. He discusses memory’s associative mistakes, why small errors feel embarrassing, the duty to admit and correct wrongs, and how creating safe environments encourages intellectual risk. Conversation mixes philosophical roots with practical implications.
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On-Air Mistake About 'Devil's Advocate'
- Jack Russell Weinstein misremembered the origin of 'devil's advocate' and corrected it on air after a listener called.
- He used the error to illustrate how even public figures routinely make small factual mistakes.
Perception Gives Incomplete Knowledge
- Our senses give only partial access to the world, so even confident perceptions are incomplete.
- That limited access is a primary source of human error and misunderstanding.
Memory Is Associative, Not Objective
- Memory is highly associative and personal, not an objective record of events.
- That explains why multiple witnesses can recall the same event very differently.